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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 116 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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. rest — a break
  3. rest — what's left
  4. mark — a grade
  5. staff — employees
  6. dip — to sink
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. mark — a trace
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. staff — a stick
  12. bear — the animal
  13. staff — employees
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. bear — the animal
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. rest — what's left
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. fan — a supporter

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