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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
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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: fork · fall · can · patient · lash · rash · bowl · saw

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. fall — to drop
  3. can — to be able to
  4. fall — the season
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. saw — the tool
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. can — a tin
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. fall — to drop
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. can — a tin
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. saw — the tool
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. fork — in a road
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. rash — hasty
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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