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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. tear — from crying
  3. cell — in biology
  4. rash — a series
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. tear — to rip
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. firm — decided
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. firm — a company
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. firm — steady
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. prune — to trim
  22. prune — to trim
  23. tear — from crying
  24. cell — a phone

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