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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: pitcher · lash · toast · tear · patient · track · sharp · wave

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. toast — bread
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. track — to keep track
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. track — a path
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. sharp — clever
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. track — a song
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. tear — to rip
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. tear — from crying
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. sharp — with an edge

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