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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. track — a song
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. track — a path
  7. key — in music
  8. rest — a break
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. rest — what's left
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. key — the most important part
  20. key — for a lock
  21. rest — what's left
  22. track — to keep track
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. patient — a sick person

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