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

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. march — music
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. bark — to shout
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. stem — to come from
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. suit — clothes
  13. bore — to drill
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. suit — to fit
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. suit — in cards
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. march — the month
  22. march — the month
  23. bore — to tire
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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