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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 116 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: season · rash · rush · scale · row · lie · snap · patient

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. lie — to recline
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. rash — hasty
  12. rush — hurry
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. season — of the year
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. rash — a series
  17. scale — in music
  18. snap — to click
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. row — to paddle
  22. season — in sport
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. row — a line

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