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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. tube — the underground
  3. mine — for digging
  4. present — a gift
  5. fine — all right
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. bass — low music
  8. bass — the fish
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. tube — a container
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. present — there
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. row — to paddle
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. row — a line
  23. fine — high quality
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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