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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: lash · perch · bat · track · patient · band · can · staff

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. can — a tin
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. staff — employees
  5. can — to be able to
  6. staff — employees
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. can — a tin
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. band — a ring
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. track — a path
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. bat — the animal
  19. track — a song
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. staff — a stick
  22. perch — the fish
  23. band — a music group
  24. track — to keep track

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