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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: bank · scale · lash · rest · mate · patient · pitcher · dip

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. rest — what's left
  4. bank — for money
  5. bank — for money
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. bank — of a river
  8. rest — a break
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. mate — a partner
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. rest — what's left
  16. mate — to breed
  17. mate — a friend
  18. dip — to sink
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. scale — in music
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. scale — size or range
  24. dip — a sauce

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