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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. race — humankind
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. row — a line
  7. bark — to shout
  8. race — the arms race
  9. race — a contest
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. wax — to grow
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. row — to paddle
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. sharp — clever
  24. wax — for sculpting

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