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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. ground — the earth
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. shower — rain
  8. ground — a position
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. land — to come down
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. mark — a trace
  13. land — a country
  14. cap — a lid
  15. cap — of ice
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. land — ground
  19. mark — a grade
  20. cap — a hat
  21. ground — crushed
  22. shower — to wash
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. fan — a supporter

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