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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 spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  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. lash — an eyelash
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. sharp — clever
  5. key — in music
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. key — for a lock
  16. pop — music
  17. rash — hasty
  18. key — the most important part
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. rash — a series
  22. pop — soda
  23. pop — to visit
  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