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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: lash · wound · prune · bat · pitcher · kick · patient · chip

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. chip — to eat
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. wound — an injury
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. wound — an injury
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. bat — the animal
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. prune — to trim
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. prune — to trim
  22. kick — in football
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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