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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: wake · patient · rest · lie · charge · straw · key · lash

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. rest — what's left
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. key — for a lock
  7. charge — in control
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. wake — a trail
  10. rest — a break
  11. key — the most important part
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. key — in music
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. charge — a price
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. rest — what's left
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. charge — electricity
  24. patient — a sick person

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