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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: mine · kick · pop · mark · lean · lash · fall · patient

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. pop — to visit
  3. lean — to bend
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. mine — for digging
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. fall — to drop
  11. pop — music
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. fall — to drop
  14. pop — soda
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. mark — a grade
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. kick — in football
  22. fall — the season
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. lean — thin

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