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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: lash · patient · saw · mate · cell · deal · march · perch

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. saw — the tool
  4. mate — a friend
  5. saw — the tool
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. cell — in biology
  9. march — the month
  10. perch — the fish
  11. deal — to handle
  12. march — music
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. march — the month
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. mate — to breed
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. cell — a phone
  23. mate — a partner
  24. deal — a big deal

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