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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. last — to go on
  5. firm — decided
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. present — the time now
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. last — finally
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. firm — a company
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. deal — to handle
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. present — there
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. firm — steady
  24. present — a gift

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