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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: patient · object · land · dip · nail · present · tear · date

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. present — the time now
  3. tear — from crying
  4. date — the fruit
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. land — a country
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. object — an aim
  12. land — to come down
  13. object — a thing
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. present — there
  17. object — to protest
  18. dip — to sink
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. tear — from crying
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. present — a gift
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. land — ground

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