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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: rest · bear · patient · racket · face · band · mark · pop

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  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. racket — for tennis
  2. rest — what's left
  3. bear — the animal
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. mark — a trace
  6. mark — a grade
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. face — to confront
  10. band — a ring
  11. pop — to visit
  12. pop — soda
  13. bear — the animal
  14. band — a music group
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. face — part of the head
  17. rest — what's left
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. face — to point toward
  22. pop — music
  23. racket — for tennis
  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