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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 · season · saw · court · patient · rush · row · hide

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. season — of the year
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. court — for sport
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. season — in sport
  8. row — to paddle
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. court — of law
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. court — of a king
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. tear — to rip
  18. rush — hurry
  19. row — a line
  20. tear — from crying
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. saw — the tool
  23. tear — from crying
  24. saw — the tool

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