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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. game — a match
  3. charge — in control
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. game — wild animals
  7. ground — a position
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. charge — electricity
  11. scale — size or range
  12. ground — crushed
  13. charge — a price
  14. ground — the earth
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. chip — for betting
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. chip — to eat
  24. scale — in music

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