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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 124 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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. court — for sport
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. row — a line
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. court — of a king
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. court — of law
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. band — a ring
  15. lie — to recline
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. row — to paddle
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. band — a music group

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