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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: bowl · tear · spring · nail · leaves · patient · band · pit

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. spring — a coil
  3. spring — the season
  4. tear — from crying
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. pit — in a race
  7. band — a music group
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. band — a ring
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. tear — from crying
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. spring — of water
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. pit — a hole
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. leaves — lets stay

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