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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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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: racket · leaves · rush · saw · roll · row · patient · rash

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. saw — the tool
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. rash — a series
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. roll — a list
  7. roll — a cake
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. row — to paddle
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. rash — hasty
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. row — a line
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. rush — hurry
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. saw — the tool
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. leaves — lets stay

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