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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 120 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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. wound — an injury
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. mate — a partner
  8. face — to confront
  9. fall — the season
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. fall — to drop
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. perch — the fish
  15. fall — to drop
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. face — part of the head
  20. mate — a friend
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. face — to point toward
  23. mate — to breed
  24. wound — an injury

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