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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. row — to paddle
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. tear — from crying
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. row — a line
  10. tear — from crying
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. season — in sport
  13. prune — to trim
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. prune — to trim
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. season — of the year
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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