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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 116 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: rush · track · rock · patient · prune · season · stick · drill

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. prune — to trim
  5. track — a path
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. drill — army training
  8. season — in sport
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. rock — a stone
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. track — to keep track
  18. prune — to trim
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. rock — music
  21. drill — the tool
  22. season — of the year
  23. drill — a practice
  24. track — a song

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