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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 120 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: nail · patient · lash · spring · mouse · pound · object · stick

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. spring — the season
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. object — an aim
  7. spring — of water
  8. object — to protest
  9. spring — a coil
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. object — a thing
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. pound — a weight
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. nail — on a finger

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