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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. tear — from crying
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. clip — to cut
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. current — of water
  8. tear — from crying
  9. clip — a video
  10. current — happening now
  11. bat — the animal
  12. current — electric
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. present — a gift
  15. clip — for paper
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. firm — a company
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. firm — steady
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. firm — decided
  22. present — the time now
  23. tear — to rip
  24. present — there

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