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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. tear — to rip
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. can — a tin
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. dip — to sink
  7. charge — in control
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. can — a tin
  11. tear — from crying
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. charge — electricity
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. tear — from crying
  17. root — of a plant
  18. root — the cause
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. charge — a price
  24. root — of a word

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