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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
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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: wake · patient · field · rest · rash · tear · ball · staff

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. field — farmland
  4. field — for sport
  5. field — a subject
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. ball — a great time
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. rest — what's left
  10. staff — employees
  11. tear — from crying
  12. rash — a series
  13. ball — a dance
  14. rest — a break
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. tear — to rip
  17. staff — a stick
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. rest — what's left
  22. wake — a trail
  23. tear — from crying
  24. staff — employees

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