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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. clip — to cut
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. root — of a plant
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. shower — to wash
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. clip — for paper
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. root — the cause
  14. clip — a video
  15. bark — to shout
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. rock — music
  22. root — of a word
  23. shower — rain
  24. rock — a stone

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