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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. tube — the underground
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. tube — a container
  6. game — wild animals
  7. cell — a phone
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. season — of the year
  11. cell — in biology
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. pit — in a race
  14. season — in sport
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. pit — a hole
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. safe — a strongbox

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