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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 · patient · suit · clip · pitch · safe · lash · hide

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. tear — from crying
  3. clip — for paper
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. clip — a video
  9. suit — in cards
  10. tear — from crying
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. suit — clothes
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. pitch — completely
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. clip — to cut
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. suit — to fit
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. tear — to rip
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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