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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: fall · racket · mate · game · lash · patient · perch · arm

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. mate — to breed
  10. mate — a partner
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. fall — the season
  13. fall — to drop
  14. game — a match
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. mate — a friend
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. fall — to drop
  20. perch — the fish
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. game — wild animals
  24. arm — a part of something

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