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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. rest — a break
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. fall — to drop
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. fall — to drop
  13. vault — a safe
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. rest — what's left
  16. bark — to shout
  17. fall — the season
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. rush — hurry
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. rest — what's left
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wind — moving air
  24. straw — a straw man

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