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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: racket · straw · key · bark · lash · jam · patient · squash

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. key — in music
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. squash — to crush
  9. squash — the sport
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. key — for a lock
  16. key — the most important part
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. racket — for tennis

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