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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. shower — rain
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. rule — a law
  7. shower — to wash
  8. drill — a practice
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. dip — to sink
  11. track — to keep track
  12. drill — the tool
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. foot — a measure
  16. drill — army training
  17. track — a path
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. rule — government
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. track — a song
  24. lash — to lash out

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