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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. can — a tin
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. rush — hurry
  7. press — newspapers
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. perch — the fish
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. can — a tin
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. press — to push
  15. face — to point toward
  16. press — a publisher
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. face — to confront
  19. row — to paddle
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. row — a line
  22. can — to be able to
  23. face — part of the head
  24. lash — an eyelash

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