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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 120 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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. chair — a leader
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. scale — size or range
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. scale — in music
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. snap — to click
  24. rock — music

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