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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 so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. board — to get on
  6. wound — an injury
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. last — finally
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. board — a committee
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. last — to go on
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. dip — to sink
  22. last — final
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. wound — an injury

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