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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.

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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: lash · arm · patient · last · rush · plane · spring · sharp

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. plane — a tool
  3. last — to go on
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. last — finally
  6. spring — the season
  7. last — final
  8. sharp — clever
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. rush — hurry
  11. spring — a coil
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. spring — of water
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. patient — a sick person

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