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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: staff · patient · tear · roll · race · ball · rest · leaves

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. rest — a break
  3. tear — to rip
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. tear — from crying
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. rest — what's left
  9. staff — employees
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. race — a contest
  12. ball — a dance
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. race — the arms race
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. tear — from crying
  17. staff — employees
  18. roll — a list
  19. rest — what's left
  20. ball — a great time
  21. roll — a cake
  22. race — humankind
  23. staff — a stick
  24. leaves — of a tree

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