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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 · rock · season · hand · rest · bear · object · rush

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. object — an aim
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. rush — hurry
  7. rest — a break
  8. bear — the animal
  9. rock — a stone
  10. object — a thing
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. rest — what's left
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. season — of the year
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. season — in sport
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. object — to protest
  20. rock — music
  21. bear — the animal
  22. hand — help
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. rest — what's left

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