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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: kid · club · deal · lash · face · fine · patient · coach

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. fine — high quality
  7. face — to confront
  8. deal — to handle
  9. face — part of the head
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. face — to point toward
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. kid — child
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. kid — to tease
  17. fine — all right
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. club — for golf
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. club — for dancing
  24. club — a group

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