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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. object — a thing
  3. craft — boats
  4. present — the time now
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. bark — to shout
  8. object — to protest
  9. firm — steady
  10. object — an aim
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. tear — from crying
  14. cell — in biology
  15. tear — from crying
  16. cell — a phone
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. craft — a skill
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. present — a gift
  21. firm — a company
  22. present — there
  23. firm — decided
  24. tear — to rip

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