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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: lash · spell · patient · stick · plane · rest · bass · cell

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. cell — a phone
  6. cell — in biology
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. spell — letters
  9. bass — the fish
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. spell — magic
  14. rest — what's left
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. rest — what's left
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. bass — low music
  21. rest — a break
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. plane — a tool
  24. spell — a short time

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