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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: dip · rush · rock · fork · patient · mark · trunk · coach

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. rock — music
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. mark — a grade
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. fork — in a road
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. mark — a trace
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. dip — to sink
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. rock — a stone

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