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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: mate · lash · patient · toast · craft · hand · mark · cabinet

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. mate — a friend
  5. mate — to breed
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. hand — help
  9. toast — bread
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. mark — a trace
  14. mate — a partner
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. mark — a grade
  20. craft — a skill
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. hand — in cards
  23. craft — boats
  24. mark — to pay attention

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