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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.

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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: chest · face · rush · racket · wave · rest · rock · patient

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. chest — of your body
  3. rock — a stone
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. rest — what's left
  6. face — to confront
  7. rest — what's left
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. rest — a break
  13. face — part of the head
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. chest — of your body
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. chest — a box
  19. rush — hurry
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. rock — music
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. face — to point toward

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