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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. stem — to come from
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. mug — to rob
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. rest — a break
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. toast — bread
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. sharp — clever
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. mug — a cup
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. rest — what's left
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. rest — what's left
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. mug — a face

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