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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  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. tear — to rip
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. spell — a short time
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. spell — letters
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. board — to get on
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. tear — from crying
  14. spell — magic
  15. tear — from crying
  16. board — a committee
  17. game — a match
  18. rock — a stone
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. stand — to bear
  21. rock — music
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. game — wild animals
  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