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

Word bank: object · band · bay · tear · patient · bowl

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. tear — from crying
  6. object — to protest
  7. tear — to rip
  8. band — a music group
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. tear — from crying
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. object — a thing
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. object — an aim
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. band — a ring
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. band — a rubber band

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