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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: snap · lash · suit · race · net · mark · patient · row

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. suit — to fit
  5. snap — to click
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. row — to paddle
  9. mark — a trace
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. race — humankind
  12. row — a line
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. net — after costs
  15. suit — in cards
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. net — for catching
  20. race — the arms race
  21. race — a contest
  22. net — in sport
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. mark — a grade

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