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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: tube · lash · tear · patient · rest · rock · scale · bound

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. tube — a container
  3. tear — from crying
  4. scale — size or range
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. tube — the underground
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rest — a break
  11. scale — in music
  12. rock — a stone
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. bound — tied together
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rock — music
  18. bound — obliged
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. tear — to rip
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. bound — certain

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