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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. hand — help
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. season — in sport
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. staff — a stick
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. season — of the year
  13. hand — in cards
  14. bear — the animal
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. staff — employees
  19. tear — from crying
  20. staff — employees
  21. tear — to rip
  22. chair — a leader
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. tear — from crying

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