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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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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 · kick · mate · patient · bulb · foot · track · race

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  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. kick — in football
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. mate — a partner
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. track — a path
  6. race — the arms race
  7. tear — to rip
  8. mate — to breed
  9. tear — from crying
  10. track — a song
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. mate — a friend
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — for light
  19. race — a contest
  20. track — to keep track
  21. race — humankind
  22. foot — a measure
  23. tear — from crying
  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