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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. mark — a grade
  4. mug — a face
  5. cap — of ice
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. net — for catching
  8. mug — a cup
  9. season — of the year
  10. rest — what's left
  11. cap — a hat
  12. cap — a lid
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. rest — what's left
  15. mug — to rob
  16. tear — from crying
  17. net — in sport
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. tear — to rip
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. net — after costs
  22. mark — a trace
  23. rest — a break
  24. season — in sport

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