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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. track — a path
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. cap — a hat
  10. track — to keep track
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. cap — a lid
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. snap — to click
  20. cap — of ice
  21. branch — a division
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. track — a song

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