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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: rash · bark · trunk · rush · calf · pitcher · patient · tear

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. rash — hasty
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. rash — a series
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. tear — from crying
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. tear — from crying
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. tear — to rip
  21. bark — to shout
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. rush — hurry

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