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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. craft — a skill
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. craft — boats
  11. lie — to recline
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. court — for sport
  15. bark — to shout
  16. court — of a king
  17. dip — to sink
  18. march — the month
  19. march — music
  20. court — of law
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. march — the month
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. craft — a handicraft

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