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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. fine — high quality
  3. pop — soda
  4. prune — to trim
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. bark — to shout
  8. pop — music
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. prune — to trim
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. pop — to visit
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. fine — all right
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. fine — a penalty

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