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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. prune — to trim
  5. bass — the fish
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. field — farmland
  8. prune — to trim
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. bass — low music
  12. field — a subject
  13. bound — obliged
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. field — for sport
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. bound — tied together
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. cue — for pool
  20. cue — a hint
  21. bound — certain
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. cue — a signal
  24. bass — the instrument

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