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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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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: chair · patient · safe · ground · straw · row · lash · rest

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. row — a line
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. ground — the earth
  6. ground — a position
  7. rest — what's left
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. rest — what's left
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. row — to paddle
  18. rest — a break
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. ground — crushed
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. chair — a leader
  24. chair — a professorship

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