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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. band — a ring
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. bound — tied together
  5. rush — hurry
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. bound — certain
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. tear — from crying
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. tear — from crying
  14. bound — obliged
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. band — a music group
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. safe — a strongbox

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