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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. cold — an illness
  3. cap — of ice
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. cap — a hat
  11. pop — music
  12. cold — not warm
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. cap — a lid
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. pop — to visit
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. pop — soda
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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