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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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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 sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  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. wind — to turn a key
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. wound — an injury
  4. dip — to sink
  5. wind — moving air
  6. spell — a short time
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. hand — help
  9. ball — a dance
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. spell — magic
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. hand — in cards
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. wind — moving air
  21. spell — letters
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. ball — a great time
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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