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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. craft — boats
  3. bark — to shout
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. lie — to recline
  6. suit — to fit
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. pit — in a race
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. suit — in cards
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. mug — a face
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. can — to be able to
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. mug — to rob
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — a tin
  20. craft — a skill
  21. pit — a hole
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. mug — a cup
  24. suit — clothes

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