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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: can · scale · chip · straw · track · lash · patient · bore

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. can — a tin
  4. track — a song
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. scale — size or range
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. chip — to eat
  10. can — a tin
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. bore — to drill
  14. scale — in music
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. bore — to tire
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. track — to keep track
  19. chip — for betting
  20. track — a path
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. can — to be able to

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