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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. tear — to rip
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. swing — to play on
  5. pit — a hole
  6. track — a song
  7. root — the cause
  8. tear — from crying
  9. track — to keep track
  10. root — of a word
  11. root — of a plant
  12. track — a path
  13. plane — a tool
  14. kick — in football
  15. pit — in a race
  16. swing — music
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. swing — in golf
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. tear — from crying
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. plane — an aircraft

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