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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. board — a committee
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. rule — government
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. board — to get on
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. chair — a leader
  20. rule — a law
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. pass — a permit
  24. arm — part of the body

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