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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: ball · patient · mouse · arm · jam · spell · track · lash

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. track — a song
  4. spell — magic
  5. ball — a dance
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. spell — letters
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. track — a path
  15. spell — a short time
  16. ball — a great time
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. jam — a tight spot
  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