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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. tear — from crying
  3. mug — to rob
  4. bear — the animal
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. fall — to drop
  7. rock — a stone
  8. rock — music
  9. fall — the season
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. mug — a face
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. tear — from crying
  15. fall — to drop
  16. bear — the animal
  17. tear — to rip
  18. mug — a cup

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