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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: tear · lash · stock · temple · rash · spring · bear · patient

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. spring — a coil
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. bear — the animal
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. tear — from crying
  7. tear — from crying
  8. spring — of water
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. stock — goods
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. bear — the animal
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. rash — hasty
  17. tear — to rip
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. stock — shares
  24. rash — a series

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