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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 120 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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. tear — from crying
  3. suit — to fit
  4. bark — to shout
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. cue — a hint
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. perch — the fish
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. cue — a signal
  14. suit — in cards
  15. plane — a tool
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. tear — to rip
  18. cue — for pool
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. suit — clothes
  23. tear — from crying
  24. fork — in a road

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