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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. stand — to bear
  6. degree — temperature
  7. degree — from a university
  8. tube — the underground
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. tube — a container
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. season — in sport
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. bark — to shout
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. snap — to click
  19. last — final
  20. degree — an amount
  21. season — of the year
  22. last — to go on
  23. last — finally
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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