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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. bark — to shout
  3. shower — to wash
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. craft — boats
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. firm — a company
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. fork — in a road
  14. firm — steady
  15. craft — a skill
  16. game — wild animals
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. firm — decided
  23. shower — rain
  24. game — a match

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