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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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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: bay · rash · fine · mine · lash · pound · deal · patient

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. rash — a series
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. fine — high quality
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. fine — all right
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. pound — a weight
  19. rash — hasty
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. mine — for digging
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. deal — to handle

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