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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 116 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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. rash — hasty
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. race — humankind
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. stock — goods
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. race — a contest
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. plane — a tool
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. race — the arms race
  19. stock — shares
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. rash — a series
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. patient — a sick person

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