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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 116 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: row · patient · sharp · straw · lash · lean · present · season

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. present — there
  5. present — the time now
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. row — a line
  11. row — to paddle
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. season — in sport
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. lean — thin
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. sharp — clever
  20. present — a gift
  21. season — of the year
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. lean — to bend

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