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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. rest — what's left
  4. land — a country
  5. wind — moving air
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. current — happening now
  10. current — of water
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. land — to come down
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. rest — what's left
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. wind — moving air
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. land — ground
  22. rest — a break
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. current — electric

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