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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
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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: race · root · rash · kick · bound · patient · trunk · rush

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. bound — certain
  3. race — humankind
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. root — of a plant
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. rash — a series
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. rush — hurry
  10. root — the cause
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. kick — in football
  16. root — of a word
  17. race — a contest
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. bound — obliged
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. bound — tied together
  23. race — the arms race
  24. rash — hasty

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