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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. tear — from crying
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. tear — to rip
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. staff — employees
  9. tear — from crying
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. content — happy
  12. roll — a list
  13. rash — a series
  14. content — the amount
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. staff — a stick
  17. roll — a cake
  18. scale — size or range
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. scale — in music
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. staff — employees
  23. pound — a weight
  24. rash — hasty

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