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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: patient · spring · lie · root · face · current · firm · tear

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. spring — of water
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. tear — from crying
  5. face — part of the head
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. firm — a company
  8. root — of a plant
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. firm — decided
  11. firm — steady
  12. face — to point toward
  13. root — the cause
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. face — to confront
  16. current — happening now
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. current — electric
  19. root — of a word
  20. lie — to recline
  21. current — of water
  22. tear — from crying
  23. spring — a coil
  24. spring — the season

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