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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 116 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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. drill — a practice
  4. mug — to rob
  5. fine — all right
  6. track — to keep track
  7. drill — the tool
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. mug — a face
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. kid — to tease
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. kid — child
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. track — a path
  17. mug — a cup
  18. cell — in biology
  19. fine — high quality
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. track — a song
  22. drill — army training
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. fine — a penalty

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