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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 120 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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. swing — music
  4. bark — to shout
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. bear — the animal
  9. hand — in cards
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. bear — the animal
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. hand — help
  21. swing — to play on
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. swing — in golf
  24. foot — a measure

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