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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. suit — to fit
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. tube — the underground
  8. row — to paddle
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. wind — moving air
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. foot — a measure
  16. wind — moving air
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. suit — clothes
  20. row — a line
  21. suit — in cards
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. tube — a container
  24. lash — to lash out

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