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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 120 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: content · patient · sharp · wake · season · lash · lean · mouse

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. season — in sport
  3. content — happy
  4. wake — a trail
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. sharp — clever
  12. season — of the year
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. lean — thin
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. lean — to bend
  22. content — the amount
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. mouse — for a computer

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