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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cell — a phone
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. lie — to recline
  15. scale — in music
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. scale — size or range
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. cell — in biology
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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