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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. spring — a coil
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. ground — a position
  9. deal — to handle
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. ground — the earth
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. cue — a hint
  15. ground — crushed
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. roll — a cake
  18. spring — the season
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. cue — for pool
  21. roll — a list
  22. sharp — clever
  23. cue — a signal
  24. spring — of water

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