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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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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: chest · row · wave · racket · patient · bay · land · rash

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. row — to paddle
  6. chest — of your body
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. land — a country
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. land — to come down
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. rash — hasty
  16. row — a line
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. land — ground
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. chest — of your body
  23. chest — a box
  24. rash — a series

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