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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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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: wind · bear · rock · racket · stick · patient

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. rock — music
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. wind — moving air
  10. bear — the animal
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. rock — a stone
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. bear — the animal
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. stick — a piece of wood

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