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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: rock · snap · patient · mug · rush · pitch · lash · straw

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. mug — a cup
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. snap — to click
  8. mug — a face
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. rock — a stone
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. rock — music
  15. mug — to rob
  16. pitch — completely
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. rush — hurry

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