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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. root — of a word
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. root — the cause
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. pitch — completely
  12. stand — to bear
  13. root — of a plant
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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