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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
468
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 · track · pound · rock · rush · deal · kick · face

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. rock — a stone
  5. deal — to handle
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. rock — music
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. face — to confront
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. face — to point toward
  12. kick — in football
  13. rush — hurry
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. track — to keep track
  16. track — a path
  17. track — a song
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. pound — a weight
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. face — part of the head
  24. kick — 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