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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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Word bank
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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: lash · saw · lie · fork · rash · patient · mouse · nail

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. rash — hasty
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. saw — the tool
  9. rash — a series
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. saw — the tool
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — to recline
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. fork — in a road

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