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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: tube · stick · tear · staff · patient · racket

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. tube — the underground
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. tube — a container
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. staff — employees
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. tear — to rip
  12. staff — employees
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. staff — a stick
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. tear — from crying
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. racket — for tennis

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