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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.

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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: patient · bay · board · wake · rash · lash · scale · kid

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. kid — child
  4. rash — a series
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. scale — in music
  11. board — to get on
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. wake — a trail
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. scale — size or range
  19. rash — hasty
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. kid — to tease
  23. board — a committee
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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