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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 · patient · ball · stick · board · band · bulb · mate

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. mate — a partner
  8. bulb — for light
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. mate — to breed
  15. ball — a dance
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. board — to get on
  18. band — a ring
  19. board — a committee
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. mate — a friend
  22. bulb — for light
  23. band — a music group
  24. ball — a great time

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