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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: bound · season · safe · swing · patient · fine · capital · tear

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  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. tear — from crying
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. tear — to rip
  5. bound — tied together
  6. bound — certain
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. season — of the year
  9. bound — obliged
  10. swing — to play on
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. tear — from crying
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. season — in sport
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. capital — money
  18. capital — a city
  19. swing — music
  20. swing — in golf
  21. fine — high quality
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. fine — all right
  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