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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. dip — to sink
  3. firm — a company
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. fine — high quality
  8. fine — all right
  9. hand — help
  10. hand — in cards
  11. firm — steady
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. mark — a grade
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. firm — decided
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. mark — a trace
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. trunk — of a tree

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