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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: foot · patient · craft · squash · cue · lash · safe · shower

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. craft — a skill
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. shower — to wash
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. cue — a hint
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. shower — rain
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. foot — a measure
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. squash — the sport
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. craft — boats
  20. cue — for pool
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. squash — to crush
  24. cue — a signal

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