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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. rash — a series
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. current — happening now
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. pit — a hole
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. row — a line
  10. rash — hasty
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. current — electric
  13. row — to paddle
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. key — in music
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. pit — in a race
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. current — of water
  21. key — for a lock
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. key — the most important part
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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