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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. bulb — for light
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. mug — a face
  7. mug — a cup
  8. kid — to tease
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. kid — child
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. mug — to rob
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. bark — to shout
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. bat — the animal
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. bulb — for light
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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