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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.

Make a worksheet

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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. object — to protest
  4. tube — a container
  5. degree — an amount
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. degree — temperature
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. object — an aim
  11. rush — hurry
  12. season — of the year
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. kick — in football
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. object — a thing
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. tube — the underground
  22. degree — from a university
  23. season — in sport
  24. season — to add flavour

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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