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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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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: bear · bulb · kick · pass · patient · tear · craft · race

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. kick — in football
  3. tear — from crying
  4. pass — a permit
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. race — the arms race
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. race — humankind
  11. bear — the animal
  12. tear — to rip
  13. craft — a skill
  14. race — a contest
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. craft — boats
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bear — the animal
  24. tear — from crying

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