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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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. land — to come down
  3. fine — high quality
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. land — a country
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. fine — all right
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. lean — to bend
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. lean — thin
  17. fall — to drop
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. deal — to handle
  20. fall — the season
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. land — ground

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