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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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. board — a committee
  4. clip — a video
  5. clip — for paper
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. prune — to trim
  10. tear — to rip
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. board — to get on
  14. clip — to cut
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. lie — to recline
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. prune — to trim
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. tear — from crying
  23. rock — a stone
  24. rock — music

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