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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. spring — the season
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. root — of a word
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. spring — a coil
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. kick — in football
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. root — the cause
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. root — of a plant
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. spring — of water
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. lash — to lash out

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