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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 felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. mate — to breed
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. charge — a price
  5. charge — electricity
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. mate — a friend
  10. ground — crushed
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. charge — in control
  13. ground — a position
  14. pitch — completely
  15. ground — the earth
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. prune — to trim
  18. prune — to trim
  19. track — a path
  20. track — a song
  21. mate — a partner
  22. track — to keep track
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. lash — to lash out

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