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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. field — for sport
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. field — farmland
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. field — a subject
  16. rush — hurry
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. tear — to rip
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. tear — from crying
  21. bulb — for light
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. bulb — for light
  24. lash — an eyelash

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