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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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: wind · stock · calf · ball · patient · lash · last · bulb

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. last — to go on
  3. last — finally
  4. wind — moving air
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. wind — moving air
  10. last — final
  11. ball — a dance
  12. ball — a great time
  13. bulb — for light
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. stock — shares
  17. bulb — for light
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. stock — goods
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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