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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: patient · bark · chest · rest · drill · rush · mark · bowl

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  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. chest — of your body
  2. chest — a box
  3. rush — hurry
  4. drill — the tool
  5. mark — a trace
  6. mark — a grade
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. chest — of your body
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. bark — to shout
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. rest — a break
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. drill — army training
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. drill — a practice
  23. rest — what's left
  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