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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. present — a gift
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. present — the time now
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. tear — to rip
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. tear — from crying
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. pit — a hole
  12. present — there
  13. face — to confront
  14. bear — the animal
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. face — to point toward
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. bear — the animal
  19. pit — in a race
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. snap — to click
  22. face — part of the head
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  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