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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · bulb · mug · object · present · patient · coach · lie

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. mug — to rob
  3. present — there
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. tear — from crying
  6. mug — a face
  7. object — a thing
  8. object — an aim
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. object — to protest
  14. bulb — for light
  15. present — a gift
  16. bulb — for light
  17. present — the time now
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. mug — a cup
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. tear — from crying
  22. tear — to rip
  23. lie — to recline
  24. patient — a sick person

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