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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. hand — help
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. court — of a king
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. court — for sport
  8. deal — to handle
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. net — after costs
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. court — of law
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. net — in sport
  20. hand — in cards
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. bark — to shout
  24. calf — a young animal

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