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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 120 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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. mug — a face
  3. bass — the fish
  4. saw — the tool
  5. bear — the animal
  6. tear — to rip
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. bear — the animal
  9. tear — from crying
  10. mug — to rob
  11. mug — a cup
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. tear — from crying
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. fine — high quality
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. bark — to shout
  19. bass — low music
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. fine — all right
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. bass — the instrument

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