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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 116 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 · court · safe · pound · stem · pop · patient · wake

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. tear — from crying
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. court — of a king
  6. pop — soda
  7. tear — to rip
  8. court — for sport
  9. pop — music
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. stem — to come from
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. pound — a weight
  15. tear — from crying
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. wake — a trail
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. pop — to visit
  22. court — of law
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. pound — to hit hard

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