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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 120 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 works in a ________________ mill.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. bound — obliged
  7. cap — a hat
  8. pop — soda
  9. saw — the tool
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. pop — music
  12. lie — to recline
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. bound — certain
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. cap — of ice
  21. bound — tied together
  22. pop — to visit
  23. cap — a lid
  24. lie — an untruth

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