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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: root · kid · lash · patient · lie · stand · bat · cue

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. cue — a signal
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. kid — child
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. root — of a plant
  11. cue — for pool
  12. bat — the animal
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. cue — a hint
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. lie — to recline
  17. stand — to bear
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. kid — to tease
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. root — of a word
  24. root — the cause

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