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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 spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. face — part of the head
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. object — to protest
  7. face — to confront
  8. object — an aim
  9. face — to point toward
  10. object — a thing
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. spring — the season
  13. spring — of water
  14. mate — a friend
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. mate — a partner
  17. snap — to click
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. spring — a coil
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. mate — to breed

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