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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: patient · foot · stick · roll · sharp · rock · lash · swing

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. swing — to play on
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. roll — a list
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. rock — music
  8. roll — a cake
  9. foot — a measure
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. swing — music
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. rock — a stone
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. sharp — clever

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