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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. pass — a permit
  4. mate — a friend
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. bound — obliged
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. bound — certain
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. prune — to trim
  15. mate — a partner
  16. prune — to trim
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. bound — tied together
  19. tear — to rip
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. mate — to breed
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. tear — from crying
  24. pass — to spend time

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