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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. craft — boats
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. snap — to click
  8. bound — tied together
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. bound — obliged
  12. bound — certain
  13. row — a line
  14. stock — goods
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. stock — shares
  22. row — to paddle
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. craft — a skill

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