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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. ground — crushed
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. ground — the earth
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. key — the most important part
  11. key — in music
  12. cold — an illness
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. can — a tin
  15. ground — a position
  16. can — to be able to
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. can — a tin
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. cold — not warm
  22. pound — a weight
  23. key — for a lock
  24. pound — for dogs

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