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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. rest — what's left
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. rest — what's left
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. swing — in golf
  7. tear — to rip
  8. swing — music
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. current — of water
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. rest — a break
  14. current — electric
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. swing — to play on
  19. fork — in a road
  20. kick — in football
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. tear — from crying
  24. current — happening now

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