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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.

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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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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: lash · patient · pound · temple · perch · current · kick · staff

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. pound — a weight
  7. current — of water
  8. kick — in football
  9. current — electric
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. current — happening now
  14. perch — the fish
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. staff — employees
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. staff — a stick
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. staff — employees

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