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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 still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. rest — what's left
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. present — there
  10. rest — a break
  11. dip — to sink
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. present — the time now
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. rest — what's left
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. plane — a tool
  23. band — a music group
  24. present — a gift

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