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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: bark · pass · mark · chest · craft · patient · bulb · rush

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. chest — a box
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. mark — a trace
  8. bark — to shout
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. mark — a grade
  11. pass — a permit
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. bulb — for light
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. chest — of your body
  17. craft — a skill
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. bulb — for light
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. rush — hurry
  23. craft — boats
  24. patient — a sick person

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