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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. mug — a cup
  8. mug — to rob
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — the tool
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. kick — in football
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. bark — to shout
  23. mug — a face
  24. wake — a trail

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