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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: file · patient · toast · tear · leaves · lie · nail · bear

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. file — a document
  3. lie — to recline
  4. bear — the animal
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. file — a tool
  8. tear — from crying
  9. tear — from crying
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. toast — bread
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bear — the animal
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. tear — to rip
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. file — a line of people

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