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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: foot · patient · last · lash · present · capital · stick · bat

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. last — finally
  3. bat — the animal
  4. present — the time now
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. present — a gift
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. foot — a measure
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. capital — money
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. present — there
  20. capital — a city
  21. last — to go on
  22. last — final
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. lash — to lash out

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