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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 120 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 transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. wind — moving air
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. drill — a practice
  6. dip — to sink
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. degree — temperature
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. drill — the tool
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. degree — an amount
  15. wind — moving air
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. mark — a grade
  18. drill — army training
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. degree — from a university
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. mark — a trace
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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