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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 spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. season — in sport
  7. file — a document
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. clip — a video
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. season — of the year
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. clip — to cut
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. file — a tool
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. file — a line of people
  22. clip — for paper
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. wave — with your hand

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