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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 120 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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. wake — a trail
  6. lean — to bend
  7. season — of the year
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. lean — thin
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. degree — an amount
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. degree — from a university
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. degree — temperature
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. chair — a leader

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