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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 124 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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. tear — from crying
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. tear — to rip
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. cap — a hat
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. cap — a lid
  13. cell — a phone
  14. charge — a price
  15. drill — army training
  16. charge — electricity
  17. tear — from crying
  18. charge — in control
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. cap — of ice
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. drill — the tool
  23. drill — a practice
  24. patient — a sick person

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