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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 120 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
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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: patient · lash · rock · drill · club · spell · field · object

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. object — a thing
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. field — farmland
  6. object — an aim
  7. field — a subject
  8. rock — a stone
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. drill — the tool
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. field — for sport
  14. club — for dancing
  15. rock — music
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. spell — magic
  18. club — for golf
  19. spell — letters
  20. object — to protest
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. drill — army training
  23. spell — a short time
  24. drill — a practice

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