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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 116 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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. lie — to recline
  3. firm — decided
  4. game — wild animals
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. firm — a company
  7. track — a song
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. bark — to shout
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. game — a match
  15. track — a path
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. track — to keep track
  21. mark — a grade
  22. mark — a trace
  23. firm — steady
  24. mark — to pay attention

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