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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. fine — all right
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. stem — to come from
  14. kid — to tease
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. rush — hurry
  17. kid — child
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. fine — high quality
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. vault — a safe
  24. jam — a tight spot

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