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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. roll — a cake
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. suit — to fit
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. sharp — clever
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. suit — clothes
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. suit — in cards
  12. rash — hasty
  13. bear — the animal
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. bark — to shout
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. roll — a list
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. rash — a series
  24. roll — on a roll

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