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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. lean — thin
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. deal — to handle
  7. bound — tied together
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. bound — obliged
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. lean — to bend
  16. rock — a stone
  17. mark — a trace
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. rock — music
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. bound — certain
  23. mark — a grade
  24. date — the fruit

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