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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: rock · stick · patient · pop · lash · mouse · bat · rule

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. rock — music
  3. pop — to visit
  4. pop — soda
  5. rule — a law
  6. pop — music
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. bat — the animal
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. rock — a stone
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. rule — government
  24. rule — to rule 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