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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 116 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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. present — a gift
  4. race — humankind
  5. root — of a word
  6. race — a contest
  7. race — the arms race
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. vault — a safe
  10. firm — a company
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. root — the cause
  13. saw — the tool
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. firm — decided
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. bark — to shout
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. present — the time now
  21. firm — steady
  22. present — there
  23. saw — the tool
  24. root — of a plant

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