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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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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: trunk · rush · bear · root · saw · mark · hand · patient

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. mark — a trace
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. bear — the animal
  6. hand — in cards
  7. mark — a grade
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. saw — the tool
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. root — the cause
  15. root — of a word
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. bear — the animal
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. hand — help
  20. saw — the tool
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. root — of a plant
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. rush — hurry

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