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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. cue — a hint
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. cue — a signal
  14. fine — all right
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. cue — for pool
  21. dip — to sink
  22. bark — to shout
  23. fine — high quality
  24. lie — to recline

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