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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: lie · tear · mark · pitcher · ground · current · suit · patient

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. current — of water
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. current — happening now
  10. mark — a trace
  11. suit — clothes
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. ground — a position
  14. ground — the earth
  15. current — electric
  16. suit — to fit
  17. ground — crushed
  18. suit — in cards
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. tear — from crying
  21. lie — to recline
  22. tear — from crying
  23. mark — a grade
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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