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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
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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: wake · bark · board · leaves · rash · rest · patient · roll

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. roll — a cake
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. wake — a trail
  6. board — a committee
  7. roll — a list
  8. rash — hasty
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rash — a series
  13. bark — to shout
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. board — to get on
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rest — a break
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. patient — a sick person

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