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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 spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. hand — help
  7. perch — the fish
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. bank — for money
  10. pop — to visit
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. hand — in cards
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. pitch — completely
  15. bank — of a river
  16. pop — music
  17. pop — soda
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. sharp — clever
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. bank — for money

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