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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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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: track · degree · rest · key · straw · bowl · patient · lash

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. rest — a break
  5. track — a song
  6. track — a path
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. rest — what's left
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. rest — what's left
  14. degree — an amount
  15. key — the most important part
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. track — to keep track
  18. key — in music
  19. degree — temperature
  20. key — for a lock
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. degree — from a university
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. straw — dry grass

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