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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: rest · cue · spring · squash · patient · lash · chip · cabinet

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. spring — of water
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. squash — the sport
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. cue — for pool
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. rest — what's left
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. rest — what's left
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. cue — a signal
  18. chip — for betting
  19. rest — a break
  20. squash — to crush
  21. spring — the season
  22. spring — a coil
  23. cue — a hint
  24. lash — to lash out

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