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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. rush — hurry
  4. wound — an injury
  5. bark — to shout
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. cell — a phone
  8. pop — music
  9. present — the time now
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. wound — an injury
  13. content — the amount
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. pop — to visit
  16. cell — in biology
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. present — a gift
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. present — there
  22. pop — soda
  23. content — happy
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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