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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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. prune — to trim
  3. face — to point toward
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. season — in sport
  6. bound — certain
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. face — part of the head
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. face — to confront
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. season — of the year
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. bound — obliged
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. bound — tied together
  23. prune — to trim
  24. dip — to sink

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