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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. clip — for paper
  4. shower — to wash
  5. stand — to bear
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. clip — to cut
  14. clip — a video
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. hand — help
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. shower — rain
  21. hand — in cards
  22. pass — a permit
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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