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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. tear — to rip
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. ball — a great time
  6. tear — from crying
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. tear — from crying
  9. rash — hasty
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. object — an aim
  12. ball — a dance
  13. mate — to breed
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. mate — a friend
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. object — to protest
  19. mate — a partner
  20. object — a thing
  21. bear — the animal
  22. rash — a series
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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