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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: patient · bear · tear · foot · mate · spring · ball · bore

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. spring — the season
  3. mate — to breed
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. ball — a great time
  6. bore — to tire
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. spring — of water
  9. tear — from crying
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. spring — a coil
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. bear — the animal
  14. tear — from crying
  15. tear — to rip
  16. ball — a dance
  17. bear — the animal
  18. mate — a friend
  19. mate — a partner
  20. bore — to drill
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. foot — a measure
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. bear — to put up with

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