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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. cell — in biology
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — a tin
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. rash — a series
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. rash — hasty
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. current — of water
  18. sharp — clever
  19. cell — a phone
  20. can — to be able to
  21. current — happening now
  22. current — electric
  23. mine — for digging
  24. mine — belonging to me

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