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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. pit — in a race
  11. band — a music group
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. band — a ring
  17. pit — a hole
  18. charge — electricity
  19. charge — a price
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. charge — in control
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. deal — to handle
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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