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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: rash · press · patient · rest · swing · bear

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. press — newspapers
  3. rash — hasty
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. rest — a break
  6. swing — to play on
  7. rash — a series
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. swing — in golf
  10. bear — the animal
  11. press — to push
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. press — a publisher
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. rest — what's left
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. bear — the animal

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