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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 120 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: stand · pit · deal · bear · rush · patient · kick · rest

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  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. kick — a thrill
  2. pit — in a race
  3. pit — a hole
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. rest — a break
  11. deal — to handle
  12. rest — what's left
  13. bear — the animal
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. rush — hurry
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. kick — in football
  19. bear — the animal
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. stand — to bear
  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