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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
468
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: coach · leaves · patient · tear · bark · lie · last · cap

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. last — finally
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. bark — to shout
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. cap — a hat
  10. tear — from crying
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. lie — to recline
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. last — to go on
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. tear — from crying
  19. last — final
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. cap — of ice
  22. cap — a lid
  23. tear — to rip
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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