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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mug · patient · bear · rash · stick · rush · wound · degree

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. wound — an injury
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. mug — a cup
  7. rash — hasty
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. mug — to rob
  11. rush — hurry
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. degree — from a university
  14. mug — a face
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. rash — a series
  17. degree — an amount
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. wound — an injury
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. bear — the animal
  22. degree — temperature
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. rush — to hurry

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