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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: sharp · net · wound · pit · lash · march · lean · patient

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. wound — an injury
  3. net — for catching
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. pit — in a race
  7. march — music
  8. pit — a hole
  9. lean — to bend
  10. wound — an injury
  11. net — after costs
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. lean — thin
  21. march — the month
  22. sharp — clever
  23. march — the month
  24. lash — an eyelash

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