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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  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. deal — an agreement
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. pit — a hole
  6. squash — the sport
  7. stand — to bear
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. deal — to handle
  13. land — to come down
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. squash — to crush
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. pit — in a race
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. land — a country
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. land — ground
  23. patient — a sick person
  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