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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. bear — the animal
  5. rush — hurry
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. bass — the fish
  9. chair — a leader
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. bass — low music
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. bark — to shout
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. plane — a tool

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