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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: wound · stock · racket · patient · fork · can · lash · bear

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. can — a tin
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. bear — the animal
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. can — a tin
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. stock — goods
  12. wound — an injury
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. can — to be able to
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. fork — in a road
  19. stock — shares
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. wound — an injury
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. bear — the animal

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