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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: craft · kick · tear · lean · mine · patient

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. 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. patient — a sick person
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. kick — in football
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. tear — to rip
  6. tear — from crying
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. mine — for digging
  9. lean — to bend
  10. craft — boats
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. tear — from crying
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. craft — a skill
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. lean — thin
  18. 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