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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 120 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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. tear — from crying
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. tear — from crying
  7. tear — to rip
  8. chest — of your body
  9. lean — to bend
  10. chest — a box
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. chest — of your body
  16. lean — thin
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. safe — out of danger

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