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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. bass — the fish
  5. mate — to breed
  6. clip — to cut
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. mate — a partner
  10. bass — low music
  11. deal — to handle
  12. club — for dancing
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. mate — a friend
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. club — a group
  19. clip — for paper
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. clip — a video
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. club — for golf
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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