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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. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. wind — moving air
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. hand — help
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. present — the time now
  10. present — there
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. tube — the underground
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. wind — moving air
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. pit — a hole
  19. present — a gift
  20. hand — in cards
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. tube — a container
  23. pit — in a race
  24. bark — to shout

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