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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. can — a tin
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. season — in sport
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. can — to be able to
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. season — of the year
  16. dip — to sink
  17. bark — to shout
  18. stock — goods
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. snap — to click
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. stock — shares
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. can — a tin

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