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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. suit — to fit
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. suit — clothes
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. band — a ring
  11. rock — music
  12. wake — a trail
  13. rush — hurry
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. rock — a stone
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. band — a music group
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. suit — in cards
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. patient — calm and waiting

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com