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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
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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 · leaves · squash · race · patient · staff · bound · bark

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. tear — from crying
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. bound — tied together
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. tear — to rip
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. staff — a stick
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. bound — certain
  11. squash — the sport
  12. bound — obliged
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. staff — employees
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. bark — to shout
  17. squash — to crush
  18. race — the arms race
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. race — humankind
  21. tear — from crying
  22. race — a contest
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. staff — employees

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