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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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. wind — moving air
  4. scale — size or range
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. fine — all right
  11. scale — in music
  12. season — of the year
  13. tear — to rip
  14. wind — moving air
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. pass — a permit
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. tear — from crying
  20. tear — from crying
  21. season — in sport
  22. fine — high quality
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. fine — a penalty

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