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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 120 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: hand · squash · lie · patient · lash · pound

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. squash — to crush
  3. hand — in cards
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. pound — a weight
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. squash — the sport
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. lie — to recline
  18. hand — help

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