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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. object — a thing
  3. perch — the fish
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. tear — to rip
  7. tear — from crying
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. spell — magic
  10. fork — in a road
  11. object — an aim
  12. land — a country
  13. tear — from crying
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. land — to come down
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. land — ground
  21. spell — a short time
  22. object — to protest
  23. spell — letters
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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