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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. cap — of ice
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. cap — a hat
  10. bark — to shout
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. shower — to wash
  19. cap — a lid
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. shower — rain

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