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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 120 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: kid · rush · wake · present · patient · can · chest · mark

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. present — there
  8. kid — to tease
  9. can — to be able to
  10. chest — of your body
  11. wake — a trail
  12. present — a gift
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. kid — child
  16. mark — a trace
  17. can — a tin
  18. mark — a grade
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. chest — a box
  22. can — a tin
  23. rush — hurry
  24. present — the time now

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