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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. rest — what's left
  4. wake — a trail
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. rest — a break
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. rest — what's left
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. squash — to crush
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. pitch — completely
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. stem — to come from

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