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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. last — to go on
  6. last — final
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. bank — of a river
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. bound — certain
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. bank — for money
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. bound — tied together
  15. content — the amount
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. content — happy
  18. last — finally
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. bank — for money
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. bound — obliged
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. patient — a sick person

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