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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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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 · lash · pit · cap · present · lean · bank · fork

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. cap — a lid
  4. present — the time now
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. lean — to bend
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. present — a gift
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. cap — a hat
  12. cap — of ice
  13. present — there
  14. bank — of a river
  15. pit — in a race
  16. pit — a hole
  17. bank — for money
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. lean — thin
  20. fork — in a road
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. bank — for money
  23. fork — a garden tool
  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