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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. net — in sport
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. suit — in cards
  6. net — for catching
  7. race — a contest
  8. tube — the underground
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. race — humankind
  11. net — after costs
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. race — the arms race
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. rock — music
  16. suit — clothes
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. suit — to fit
  21. tube — a container
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. coach — a trainer

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