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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: patient · leaves · rash · ground · arm · rush · bear · snap

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. rash — hasty
  3. ground — the earth
  4. rush — hurry
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. bear — the animal
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. ground — a position
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. snap — to click
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. bear — the animal
  23. rash — a series
  24. ground — crushed

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