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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. pop — music
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. mate — a partner
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. rest — what's left
  12. pitch — completely
  13. mate — a friend
  14. track — a song
  15. track — a path
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. rest — a break
  18. pop — soda
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. track — to keep track
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. pop — to visit
  24. mate — to breed

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