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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. craft — boats
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. wind — moving air
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. bark — to shout
  7. staff — employees
  8. cap — a hat
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. last — final
  11. cap — a lid
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. staff — a stick
  15. staff — employees
  16. craft — a skill
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. last — finally
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. wind — moving air
  22. lie — to recline
  23. last — to go on
  24. cap — of ice

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