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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. stand — to bear
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. mate — to breed
  6. plane — a tool
  7. scale — in music
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. mate — a friend
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. mate — a partner
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. tear — to rip
  17. fine — all right
  18. tear — from crying
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. kick — in football
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. fine — high quality
  23. scale — size or range
  24. kick — a thrill

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