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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 refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. rock — music
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. rock — a stone
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. stock — shares
  8. degree — temperature
  9. degree — from a university
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. plane — a tool
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. chair — a leader
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. mug — to rob
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. mug — a face
  21. degree — an amount
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. stock — goods

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