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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. land — ground
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. land — to come down
  9. spring — the season
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. track — to keep track
  14. land — a country
  15. track — a path
  16. spring — a coil
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. track — a song
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. spring — of water
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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