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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: rash · staff · rush · cue · patient · bark · bulb · temple

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. staff — employees
  3. rash — hasty
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. cue — a hint
  7. staff — employees
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. cue — for pool
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. rash — a series
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bark — to shout
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. cue — a signal
  20. staff — a stick
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. rush — hurry
  24. temple — a place of worship

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