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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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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: rash · wake · kid · bear · wound · mark · stand · patient

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. wake — a trail
  4. kid — child
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. wound — an injury
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. mark — a trace
  13. rash — hasty
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. bear — the animal
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. stand — to bear
  19. rash — a series
  20. kid — to tease
  21. bear — the animal
  22. mark — a grade
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. stand — on your feet

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