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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. object — to protest
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. pass — a permit
  9. object — an aim
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. sharp — clever
  21. object — a thing
  22. cell — in biology
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. cell — a phone

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