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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. rush — hurry
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. season — of the year
  7. firm — decided
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. firm — a company
  10. tear — from crying
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. tear — from crying
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. season — in sport
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. lie — to recline
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. tear — to rip
  24. lie — an untruth

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