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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. sharp — clever
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. pass — a permit
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. craft — a skill
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. bark — to shout
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. wound — an injury
  24. craft — boats

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