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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. cap — a hat
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. staff — employees
  6. bark — to shout
  7. fall — to drop
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. fall — the season
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. cap — a lid
  12. scale — in music
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. fall — to drop
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. staff — employees
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. staff — a stick
  21. cap — of ice
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. scale — size or range
  24. patient — a sick person

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