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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 120 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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. mate — a friend
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. game — a match
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. dip — to sink
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. perch — the fish
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. mate — a partner
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. mate — to breed
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. game — wild animals
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. leaves — lets stay

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