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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. pound — a weight
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. cue — a hint
  8. squash — the sport
  9. squash — to crush
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. dip — to sink
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. firm — steady
  17. cue — for pool
  18. bear — the animal
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. firm — decided
  21. bear — the animal
  22. firm — a company
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. cue — a signal

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