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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. kick — in football
  4. wound — an injury
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. tear — from crying
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. firm — a company
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. tear — from crying
  12. tear — to rip
  13. wound — an injury
  14. lean — thin
  15. lean — to bend
  16. saw — the tool
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. bulb — for light
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. firm — decided
  23. firm — steady
  24. bulb — for light

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