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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. tube — the underground
  3. fork — in a road
  4. content — happy
  5. tube — a container
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. race — the arms race
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. race — a contest
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. race — humankind
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. content — the amount

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