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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. tear — from crying
  3. mine — for digging
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. tear — from crying
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. file — a tool
  9. scale — in music
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. tear — to rip
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. scale — size or range
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. bulb — for light
  19. kick — in football
  20. file — a line of people
  21. bulb — for light
  22. file — a document
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. bulb — of a plant

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