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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. fine — all right
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. roll — a list
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. object — a thing
  7. object — to protest
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. roll — a cake
  12. swing — in golf
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. swing — to play on
  16. fine — high quality
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. pound — a weight
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. swing — music
  23. kick — in football
  24. object — an aim

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