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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 116 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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. key — the most important part
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. key — in music
  5. mine — for digging
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. squash — to crush
  11. rest — what's left
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bulb — for light
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. rest — a break
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. snap — to click
  21. key — for a lock
  22. rest — what's left
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. squash — the sport

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