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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: key · swing · cell · bark · patient · pit · cap · lash

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. swing — in golf
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. cell — a phone
  7. key — in music
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. key — the most important part
  10. pit — in a race
  11. cell — in biology
  12. swing — to play on
  13. cap — a lid
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. key — for a lock
  17. bark — to shout
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. swing — music
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. pit — a hole
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. cap — a hat
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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