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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. perch — the fish
  3. firm — decided
  4. march — the month
  5. firm — a company
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. charge — electricity
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. saw — the tool
  13. charge — in control
  14. firm — steady
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. march — the month
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. march — music
  23. bark — to shout
  24. charge — a price

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