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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: tear · rock · land · patient · bay · lash · mark · date

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  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. mark — a grade
  2. land — to come down
  3. rock — music
  4. tear — from crying
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. land — a country
  14. rock — a stone
  15. mark — a trace
  16. tear — from crying
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. tear — to rip
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. land — ground
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. date — the fruit
  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