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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. content — the amount
  4. track — to keep track
  5. track — a song
  6. rash — a series
  7. lean — thin
  8. last — to go on
  9. rash — hasty
  10. lean — to bend
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. wake — a trail
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. track — a path
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. content — happy
  24. last — finally

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