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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · patient · rash · pass · rest · bore · wound · clip

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. rash — hasty
  3. rest — what's left
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. wound — an injury
  7. clip — for paper
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. clip — a video
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. rest — a break
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. rash — a series
  16. pass — a permit
  17. rest — what's left
  18. bore — to tire
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. bore — to drill
  24. clip — to cut

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