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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: kick · patient · fork · fall · lash · stand · swing · pit

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. fall — to drop
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. kick — in football
  9. fall — the season
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. pit — a hole
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. fork — in a road
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. swing — music
  18. swing — in golf
  19. stand — to bear
  20. pit — in a race
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. swing — to play on

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