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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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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. rush — hurry
  3. bulb — for light
  4. hand — help
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. fine — all right
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. bulb — for light
  10. ball — a dance
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. bass — the fish
  16. fine — high quality
  17. hand — in cards
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. bass — low music
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. ball — a great time
  24. rush — to hurry

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