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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. shower — rain
  4. cue — a signal
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. bark — to shout
  7. net — in sport
  8. row — to paddle
  9. cue — for pool
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. cue — a hint
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. row — a line
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. net — for catching
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. net — after costs

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