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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: foot · chip · roll · mug · snap · patient · lash · stock

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. mug — a cup
  5. snap — to click
  6. mug — to rob
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. stock — shares
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. chip — to eat
  15. chip — for betting
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. roll — a cake
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. stock — goods
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. foot — a measure
  23. mug — a face
  24. foot — part of the body

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