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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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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: mug · bay · hand · pitcher · patient · lash · scale · fan

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. mug — to rob
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. scale — in music
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. mug — a cup
  13. hand — in cards
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. scale — size or range
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. mug — a face
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. hand — help
  24. lash — an eyelash

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