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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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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 · squash · patient · tear · fall · rush · staff · can

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. squash — the sport
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. rush — hurry
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. staff — employees
  8. can — a tin
  9. tear — from crying
  10. rash — a series
  11. can — a tin
  12. fall — to drop
  13. staff — employees
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. squash — to crush
  16. can — to be able to
  17. tear — from crying
  18. rash — hasty
  19. fall — the season
  20. tear — to rip
  21. staff — a stick
  22. fall — to drop
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. rush — a thrill

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