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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. rash — hasty
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. wake — a trail
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. season — in sport
  19. rash — a series
  20. craft — boats
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. craft — a skill
  24. season — of the year

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