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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. lean — thin
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. present — the time now
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. present — a gift
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. present — there
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. bear — the animal
  15. key — for a lock
  16. bat — the animal
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. lean — to bend
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. key — in music
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. key — the most important part

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