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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. lie — to recline
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. net — after costs
  6. bark — to shout
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. net — in sport
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. net — for catching
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. scale — size or range
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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