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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. shower — rain
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. tear — from crying
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. mark — a grade
  10. mark — a trace
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. deal — to handle
  13. tear — to rip
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. sharp — clever
  16. tear — from crying
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. fork — in a road
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. shower — to wash

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