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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 116 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: hide · lash · wake · patient · ball · kick · season · rash

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. rash — hasty
  3. ball — a great time
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. wake — a trail
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. season — in sport
  10. ball — a dance
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. rash — a series
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. kick — in football
  19. season — of the year
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. patient — a sick person

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