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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. mate — a partner
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. mate — to breed
  6. deal — to handle
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. fall — to drop
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. mug — to rob
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. ball — a dance
  16. mate — a friend
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. fall — to drop
  19. ball — a great time
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. fall — the season
  22. mug — a cup
  23. bark — to shout
  24. deal — an agreement

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