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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. face — to point toward
  7. face — to confront
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. tube — the underground
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. degree — temperature
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. face — part of the head
  18. tube — a container
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. degree — an amount
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. degree — from a university
  24. saw — the tool

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