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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. rock — a stone
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. bark — to shout
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. rock — music
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. pass — a permit
  14. shower — to wash
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. bear — the animal
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. shower — rain
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. bear — to put up with

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