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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: craft · stem · lash · snap · patient · can · pitch · pit

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. pit — in a race
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. stem — to come from
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. snap — to click
  12. pit — a hole
  13. craft — boats
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. can — a tin
  21. craft — a skill
  22. pitch — completely
  23. can — a tin
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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