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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: patient · pass · rush · arm · spring · scale · rock · wake

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. rock — a stone
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. wake — a trail
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. rush — hurry
  11. scale — size or range
  12. scale — in music
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. spring — of water
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. pass — a permit
  17. spring — the season
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. rock — music
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. spring — a coil
  24. rush — a thrill

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