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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: toast · perch · patient · lash · bat · mug · suit · content

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. content — the amount
  4. perch — the fish
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. suit — in cards
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. toast — bread
  11. mug — a cup
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. suit — to fit
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. mug — to rob
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. bat — the animal
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. mug — a face
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. content — happy
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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