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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. present — the time now
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. firm — decided
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. lean — thin
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. shower — to wash
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. tube — the underground
  14. present — there
  15. firm — steady
  16. tube — a container
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. lean — to bend
  19. firm — a company
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. shower — rain
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. lean — to rest against

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