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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: patient · lash · bear · mouse · staff · row · chair · stock

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. row — to paddle
  4. stock — shares
  5. row — a line
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. stock — goods
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. staff — a stick
  13. staff — employees
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. staff — employees
  17. bear — the animal
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. bear — the animal
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. chair — a leader

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