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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: object · ground · patient · branch · cue · can · lash · foot

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. foot — a measure
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. ground — the earth
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. object — an aim
  8. branch — a division
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. can — a tin
  11. cue — for pool
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. object — to protest
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. ground — crushed
  17. can — a tin
  18. cue — a signal
  19. object — a thing
  20. ground — a position
  21. cue — a hint
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. branch — of a tree

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