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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 am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. stock — shares
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. chair — a leader
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. bark — to shout
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. season — in sport
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. season — of the year
  20. plane — a tool
  21. stock — goods
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. patient — a sick person

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