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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. stem — to come from
  4. scale — in music
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. ball — a dance
  8. scale — size or range
  9. capital — a city
  10. bass — the fish
  11. ball — a great time
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. firm — decided
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. capital — money
  18. bass — low music
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. firm — a company
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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