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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. spell — a short time
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. row — to paddle
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. scale — in music
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. scale — size or range
  15. spell — magic
  16. spell — letters
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. bark — to shout
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. wake — a trail
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. row — a line

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