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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. net — in sport
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. bear — the animal
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. net — after costs
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. bear — the animal
  13. perch — the fish
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. bark — to shout
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. net — for catching
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. bore — to drill
  23. bore — to tire
  24. bark — of a tree

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