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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. shower — rain
  4. mark — a grade
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. bark — to shout
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. mark — a trace
  9. rash — hasty
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. rock — music
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. rash — a series
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. shower — to wash
  18. rock — a stone
  19. toast — bread
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. bark — of a tree

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