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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 116 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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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: rock · pound · last · bear · rush · patient · rest · fork

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  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. patient — a sick person
  2. last — finally
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. pound — a weight
  5. rush — hurry
  6. bear — the animal
  7. rest — what's left
  8. last — to go on
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. rock — music
  14. rock — a stone
  15. last — final
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. bear — the animal
  19. fork — in a road
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. patient — a sick person
  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