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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. file — a tool
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. suit — to fit
  8. squash — the sport
  9. file — a document
  10. mate — a partner
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. mate — to breed
  13. file — a line of people
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. bark — to shout
  17. squash — to crush
  18. suit — clothes
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. suit — in cards
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. mate — a friend

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