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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. spring — of water
  6. prune — to trim
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bulb — for light
  9. spring — the season
  10. prune — to trim
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. tear — to rip
  13. bulb — for light
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. bound — tied together
  19. tear — from crying
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. spring — a coil
  22. bound — certain
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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