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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. dip — to sink
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. fine — high quality
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. field — farmland
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. field — for sport
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. suit — in cards
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. field — a subject
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. pop — soda
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. pop — to visit
  21. suit — clothes
  22. suit — to fit
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. pop — music

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