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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: leaves · pound · stick · object · patient · date · lash · wake

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. object — to protest
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. object — a thing
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. pound — a weight
  17. object — an aim
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. date — the fruit
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. wake — a trail

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