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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
468
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: march · lean · prune · face · lash · hand · tear · patient

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. tear — from crying
  4. tear — from crying
  5. face — to point toward
  6. prune — to trim
  7. hand — in cards
  8. face — part of the head
  9. lean — thin
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. march — the month
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. face — to confront
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. tear — to rip
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. lean — to bend
  19. prune — to trim
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. hand — help
  22. march — music
  23. march — the month
  24. prune — the fruit

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