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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. file — a tool
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. file — a document
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. mate — to breed
  10. charge — in control
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. charge — a price
  13. plane — a tool
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. charge — electricity
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. mate — a partner
  18. file — a line of people
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. bowl — a dish

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