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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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468
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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. squash — to crush
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. saw — the tool
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. chair — a leader
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. saw — the tool
  18. object — to protest
  19. squash — the sport
  20. object — a thing
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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