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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. object — an aim
  4. file — a document
  5. pop — soda
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. tube — a container
  8. pop — music
  9. pop — to visit
  10. tube — the underground
  11. season — of the year
  12. last — finally
  13. object — to protest
  14. file — a line of people
  15. bark — to shout
  16. file — a tool
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. season — in sport
  20. object — a thing
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. last — to go on
  24. last — final

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