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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. present — there
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. present — the time now
  9. face — part of the head
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. face — to point toward
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. rush — hurry
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. face — to confront
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. present — a gift
  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