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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: lean · trunk · tear · object · safe · pop · craft · patient

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. craft — a skill
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. pop — to visit
  5. lean — thin
  6. object — to protest
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. tear — from crying
  10. pop — soda
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. lean — to bend
  14. tear — from crying
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. pop — music
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. object — an aim
  21. craft — boats
  22. object — a thing
  23. tear — to rip
  24. safe — out of danger

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