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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. ball — a great time
  4. rock — a stone
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. rule — a law
  7. bear — the animal
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. rock — music
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. bear — the animal
  19. ball — a dance
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. date — the fruit
  22. rule — government
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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