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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. fine — high quality
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. game — a match
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. dip — to sink
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. staff — employees
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. staff — a stick
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. game — wild animals
  18. staff — employees
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. dip — a sauce

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