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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 120 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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. lie — to recline
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. tear — from crying
  5. bat — the animal
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. deal — to handle
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. tear — to rip
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. tear — from crying
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. deal — an agreement

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