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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. last — final
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. fork — in a road
  5. rush — hurry
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. last — to go on
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. last — finally
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. pass — a permit
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. lash — to lash out

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