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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
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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 · coach · lash · arm · temple · saw · row · pop

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. pop — to visit
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. pop — music
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. row — a line
  15. saw — the tool
  16. pop — soda
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. row — to paddle
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. temple — a place of worship

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