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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.

Make a worksheet

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: hand · march · leaves · mark · patient · kid · lash · rash

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. rash — a series
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. march — the month
  5. mark — a grade
  6. rash — hasty
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. kid — to tease
  11. hand — help
  12. mark — a trace
  13. march — the month
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. march — music
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. kid — child

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