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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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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. deal — to handle
  7. tear — from crying
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. bank — of a river
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. pound — a weight
  15. pit — in a race
  16. pit — a hole
  17. tear — from crying
  18. wound — an injury
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. tear — to rip
  22. bank — for money
  23. bank — for money
  24. deal — a big deal

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