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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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. wound — an injury
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. cap — a hat
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. bound — obliged
  10. can — a tin
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. bound — certain
  14. can — to be able to
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. cap — a lid
  18. bark — to shout
  19. bound — tied together
  20. wound — an injury
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. can — a tin

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