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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. last — finally
  3. tear — to rip
  4. mark — a trace
  5. mark — a grade
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. tear — from crying
  8. pop — soda
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. rush — hurry
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. last — to go on
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. tear — from crying
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. last — final
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pop — to visit
  24. pop — music

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