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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  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. leaves — of a tree
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. cell — a phone
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. stand — to bear
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. bat — the animal
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bear — the animal
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. cell — in biology
  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