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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 · kick · chip · can · pound · patient · press · stick

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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. patient — a sick person
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. can — a tin
  7. chip — to eat
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. kick — in football
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. can — to be able to
  14. press — to push
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. pound — a weight
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. chip — for betting
  19. press — newspapers
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. can — a tin
  22. press — a publisher
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. kick — a thrill

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