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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: safe · clip · straw · march · bark · lash · patient · racket

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. march — music
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. clip — a video
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. march — the month
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. clip — to cut
  17. bark — to shout
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. march — the month
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. clip — for paper

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