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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 120 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: can · tube · spell · key · mine · tear · patient · saw

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. can — a tin
  3. tear — to rip
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. spell — a short time
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. tube — a container
  8. key — for a lock
  9. mine — for digging
  10. spell — magic
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. key — the most important part
  13. spell — letters
  14. tear — from crying
  15. can — to be able to
  16. saw — the tool
  17. tear — from crying
  18. key — in music
  19. tube — the underground
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. can — a tin
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. saw — the tool

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