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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 120 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: rest · board · cell · bear · temple · racket · patient · bark

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. board — to get on
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. rest — a break
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. bark — to shout
  12. bear — the animal
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. cell — in biology
  20. cell — a phone
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rest — what's left
  23. board — a committee
  24. bear — the animal

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