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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. hand — in cards
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bank — for money
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. tear — to rip
  12. tear — from crying
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. bank — of a river
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. object — a thing
  20. object — an aim
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. bank — for money
  23. object — to protest
  24. hand — help

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