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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. drill — the tool
  3. drill — army training
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bank — of a river
  6. object — to protest
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. cell — in biology
  9. object — a thing
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. drill — a practice
  14. cell — a phone
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. object — an aim
  17. bank — for money
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. bank — for money
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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