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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: pitcher · patient · fall · last · rush · wake · season · racket

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. rush — hurry
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. wake — a trail
  7. fall — to drop
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. last — finally
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. season — of the year
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. fall — the season
  17. season — in sport
  18. last — final
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. fall — to drop
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. last — to go on

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