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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 · spell · drill · rush · patient · face · race · craft

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. spell — letters
  3. drill — army training
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. race — humankind
  6. face — to confront
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. rush — hurry
  9. rash — a series
  10. face — part of the head
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. spell — a short time
  13. craft — a skill
  14. drill — the tool
  15. race — a contest
  16. race — the arms race
  17. drill — a practice
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. rash — hasty
  20. spell — magic
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. craft — boats
  24. face — to point toward

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