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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. rest — what's left
  3. swing — in golf
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. rest — what's left
  8. shower — to wash
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — for light
  11. content — happy
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. content — the amount
  14. shower — rain
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. swing — music
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. swing — to play on
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. rest — a break
  24. leaves — of a tree

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