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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. pass — a permit
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. pop — to visit
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. squash — to crush
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. squash — the sport
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. pop — music
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. pop — soda
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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