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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. spring — the season
  5. roll — a cake
  6. rash — a series
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. spring — a coil
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. rash — hasty
  20. roll — a list
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. spring — of water

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