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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. pop — soda
  3. hand — help
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. cue — a signal
  6. pop — music
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. hand — in cards
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. capital — money
  13. pop — to visit
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. cue — for pool
  18. cue — a hint
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. capital — a city
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. hide — to keep secret

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