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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. scale — size or range
  4. firm — steady
  5. branch — a division
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. cold — not warm
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. cold — an illness
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. firm — decided
  21. scale — in music
  22. firm — a company
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. scale — for weighing

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