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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. wound — an injury
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. rest — what's left
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. dip — to sink
  10. suit — to fit
  11. suit — in cards
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. shower — to wash
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. wound — an injury
  17. rest — what's left
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. suit — clothes
  20. rest — a break
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. shower — rain

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