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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: patient · saw · stock · cell · mate · spell · bass · lash

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. spell — a short time
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. cell — in biology
  8. mate — a friend
  9. bass — the fish
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. spell — letters
  12. mate — a partner
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. stock — goods
  17. bass — low music
  18. cell — a phone
  19. stock — shares
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. saw — the tool
  22. spell — magic
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. mate — to breed

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