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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 116 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: lash · rest · track · fall · patient · straw · stick · pitch

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. rest — what's left
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. fall — the season
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. pitch — completely
  8. rest — a break
  9. track — to keep track
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. track — a song
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. track — a path
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. fall — to drop
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. fall — to drop
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. rest — what's left

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