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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. ground — a position
  5. track — a song
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. craft — boats
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. craft — a skill
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. ground — the earth
  16. hand — help
  17. track — a path
  18. track — to keep track
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. scale — in music
  22. scale — size or range
  23. hand — in cards
  24. ground — crushed

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