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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. board — to get on
  4. file — a line of people
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. file — a document
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. stand — to bear
  11. board — a committee
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. bark — to shout
  16. tear — from crying
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. tear — from crying
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. file — a tool
  24. tear — to rip

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