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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. tear — from crying
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. snap — to click
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. pop — soda
  10. can — to be able to
  11. tear — from crying
  12. can — a tin
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. can — a tin
  17. tear — to rip
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. pop — to visit
  21. deal — to handle
  22. pop — music
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. saw — the tool

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