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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: lash · mouse · bulb · foot · patient · chest · pitcher · face

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  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. pitcher — a jug
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. face — part of the head
  10. bulb — for light
  11. chest — of your body
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. face — to confront
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. chest — a box
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. face — to point toward
  21. foot — a measure
  22. bulb — for light
  23. chest — of your body
  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