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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. branch — a division
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. tear — from crying
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. tear — to rip
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. mark — a trace
  13. rest — what's left
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. tear — from crying
  16. rest — what's left
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. wax — to grow
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. mark — a grade
  23. kick — in football
  24. rest — a break

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