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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: firm · lean · tear · rest · prune · patient · bear · roll

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. bear — the animal
  4. firm — a company
  5. rest — what's left
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. firm — steady
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. roll — a cake
  10. firm — decided
  11. bear — the animal
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. prune — to trim
  14. tear — from crying
  15. tear — from crying
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. roll — a list
  18. prune — to trim
  19. rest — what's left
  20. lean — to bend
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. tear — to rip
  23. lean — thin
  24. rest — a break

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