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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. content — the amount
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. press — newspapers
  8. rash — hasty
  9. rash — a series
  10. content — happy
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. row — a line
  14. kid — to tease
  15. row — to paddle
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. deal — to handle
  19. kid — child
  20. press — a publisher
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. press — to push

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