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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: net · rock · patient · cue · lash · land · cabinet · clip

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. cue — a hint
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. net — in sport
  6. cue — for pool
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. land — to come down
  10. cue — a signal
  11. rock — music
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. land — a country
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. clip — a video
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. rock — a stone
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. clip — for paper
  21. net — after costs
  22. net — for catching
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. land — ground

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