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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. tube — a container
  4. degree — an amount
  5. pit — a hole
  6. degree — temperature
  7. clip — a video
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. degree — from a university
  12. clip — to cut
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. clip — for paper
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. tube — the underground
  18. stand — to bear
  19. pit — in a race
  20. cap — of ice
  21. cap — a hat
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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