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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 116 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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. mine — for digging
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. fall — to drop
  8. mug — a cup
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. deal — to handle
  11. fall — to drop
  12. season — of the year
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. mug — a face
  15. bark — to shout
  16. plane — a tool
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. mug — to rob
  21. season — in sport
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. fall — the season
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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