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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. rush — hurry
  7. chest — a box
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. last — finally
  10. squash — to crush
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. suit — clothes
  13. last — final
  14. suit — to fit
  15. last — to go on
  16. squash — the sport
  17. sharp — clever
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. chest — of your body
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. suit — in cards
  24. chest — of your body

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