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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · degree · prune · lash · nail · pitch · saw · bat

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. degree — temperature
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. bat — the animal
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. degree — an amount
  8. degree — from a university
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. saw — the tool
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. prune — to trim
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. prune — to trim
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. pitch — completely
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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