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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: cabinet · tear · wound · leaves · bark · pit · patient · wave

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. wound — an injury
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. pit — a hole
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. tear — from crying
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. pit — in a race
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. wound — an injury
  21. tear — to rip
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. tear — from crying

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