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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 116 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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. bear — the animal
  4. tear — from crying
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bear — the animal
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. bulb — for light
  17. tear — from crying
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. tear — to rip
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. lie — to recline
  24. trunk — of a car

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