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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 · pit · net · lash · bound · cue · nail · patient

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. pit — in a race
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. net — for catching
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. bound — obliged
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. foot — a measure
  11. pit — a hole
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. bound — certain
  14. bound — tied together
  15. cue — a hint
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. cue — a signal
  18. cue — for pool
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. net — in sport
  23. net — after costs
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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