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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 124 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 got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. hand — help
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. staff — employees
  7. file — a document
  8. file — a tool
  9. cap — a hat
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. staff — employees
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. cap — of ice
  15. staff — a stick
  16. file — a line of people
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. cap — a lid
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. root — of a word
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. root — of a plant
  24. root — the cause

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