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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. kid — to tease
  4. lean — thin
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. kid — child
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. bear — the animal
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. bear — the animal
  20. lean — to bend
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. bark — to shout
  23. bass — the fish
  24. bass — low music

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