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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. degree — temperature
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. degree — from a university
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. object — a thing
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. pass — a permit
  20. wax — to grow
  21. degree — an amount
  22. object — an aim
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. object — to protest

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