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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. net — after costs
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. rock — a stone
  11. rock — music
  12. object — a thing
  13. object — an aim
  14. land — ground
  15. object — to protest
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. bark — to shout
  20. net — in sport
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. land — a country
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. net — for catching

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