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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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. rock — a stone
  3. spell — letters
  4. spring — a coil
  5. rock — music
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. chest — of your body
  9. spell — a short time
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. chest — of your body
  13. spell — magic
  14. chest — a box
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. roll — a cake
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. roll — a list
  22. spring — of water
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. lash — an eyelash

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