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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. lean — to bend
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. mug — a cup
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. rest — what's left
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. rest — what's left
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. rest — a break
  16. foot — a measure
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. mug — to rob
  19. mug — a face
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. lean — thin
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. fork — in a road
  24. lean — to rest against

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