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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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468
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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. tear — to rip
  3. content — happy
  4. tear — from crying
  5. stem — to come from
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. tear — from crying
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. content — the amount
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. mark — a trace
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. mark — a grade
  22. rash — hasty
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. content — videos and posts

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