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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. lie — to recline
  3. last — final
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bass — low music
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. board — a committee
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. bass — the fish
  12. bark — to shout
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. board — to get on
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. last — to go on
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. last — finally
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. lie — an untruth

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