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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: mouse · lie · patient · lash · fork · root · net · race

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. net — for catching
  5. net — after costs
  6. net — in sport
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. lie — to recline
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. race — the arms race
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. root — the cause
  13. root — of a word
  14. race — humankind
  15. root — of a plant
  16. race — a contest
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. fork — in a road
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  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