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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: drill · straw · chip · patient · lash · bear · club · rock

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. rock — a stone
  6. drill — the tool
  7. bear — the animal
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. chip — for betting
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. rock — music
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. drill — army training
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. club — for golf
  17. chip — to eat
  18. club — a group
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. bear — the animal
  24. drill — a practice

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