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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. sharp — clever
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. snap — to click
  8. stem — to come from
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. present — there
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. present — the time now
  14. ball — a dance
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. present — a gift
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. ball — a great time
  24. lash — an eyelash

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