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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. pit — in a race
  4. pit — a hole
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. mate — to breed
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. cue — a signal
  11. mate — a friend
  12. bank — of a river
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. bark — to shout
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. cue — a hint
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. bank — for money
  19. cue — for pool
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. bat — the animal
  22. bank — for money
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. patient — a sick person

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