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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. kick — in football
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. tear — from crying
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. board — to get on
  11. prune — to trim
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. tear — to rip
  16. bat — the animal
  17. prune — to trim
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. board — a committee
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. tear — from crying

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