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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. tear — from crying
  6. bound — certain
  7. bound — tied together
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. lean — to bend
  11. tear — to rip
  12. bound — obliged
  13. can — to be able to
  14. tube — the underground
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. can — a tin
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. tube — a container
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. tear — from crying
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. pitch — completely
  24. lean — thin

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