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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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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  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. mate — a partner
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. mate — to breed
  4. roll — a list
  5. staff — employees
  6. staff — employees
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. fine — high quality
  9. staff — a stick
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. fine — all right
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. mate — a friend
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. foot — a measure
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. roll — a cake
  23. patient — a sick person
  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