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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: rush · patient · pass · rest · bulb · pit · rock · fork

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. rock — a stone
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. rock — music
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. bulb — for light
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. rush — hurry
  11. rest — a break
  12. bulb — for light
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. fork — in a road
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. pit — in a race
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. rest — what's left
  23. pit — a hole
  24. pass — a permit

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