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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 116 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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. firm — decided
  5. snap — to click
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. sharp — clever
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. firm — a company
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. content — happy
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. firm — steady
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. net — for catching
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. content — the amount
  22. net — after costs
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. net — in sport

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