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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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Word bank
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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. tear — to rip
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. race — the arms race
  8. present — the time now
  9. present — there
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. race — humankind
  12. charge — electricity
  13. tear — from crying
  14. suit — in cards
  15. suit — clothes
  16. charge — a price
  17. fall — to drop
  18. tear — from crying
  19. fall — to drop
  20. charge — in control
  21. race — a contest
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. suit — to fit
  24. fall — the season

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