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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: firm · fine · rest · patient · pitcher · squash · lash · straw

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. firm — steady
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. rest — what's left
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. fine — all right
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. firm — a company
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. squash — the sport
  16. rest — what's left
  17. fine — high quality
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. rest — a break
  21. firm — decided
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. squash — to crush

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