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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. chest — of your body
  4. fine — high quality
  5. toast — bread
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. pound — a weight
  8. wind — moving air
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. chest — a box
  13. chest — of your body
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. track — a path
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. track — to keep track
  18. wind — moving air
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. fine — all right
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. track — a song
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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