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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: patient · pass · spell · mine · season · racket · net · lash

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. spell — a short time
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. net — after costs
  5. net — for catching
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. pass — a permit
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. season — in sport
  12. mine — for digging
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. spell — magic
  15. spell — letters
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. season — of the year
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. mine — an explosive

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