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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 spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. rash — hasty
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. ground — the earth
  8. track — a path
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. ground — a position
  11. degree — temperature
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. ground — crushed
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. track — a song
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. track — to keep track
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. degree — an amount
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. degree — from a university
  24. rash — a series

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