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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: bark · patient · bass · bowl · rest · wind · temple · spring

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. spring — the season
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. wind — moving air
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. bark — to shout
  12. wind — moving air
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. bass — low music
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. rest — what's left
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. bass — the fish
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. spring — a coil
  22. spring — of water
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. rest — a break

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