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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 124 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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. row — to paddle
  3. ball — a dance
  4. land — ground
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. land — to come down
  12. shower — rain
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. ball — a great time
  16. row — a line
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. land — a country
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. shower — to wash

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