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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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. rash — a series
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. key — in music
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. file — a document
  9. land — to come down
  10. key — the most important part
  11. land — a country
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. rash — hasty
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. key — for a lock
  16. file — a line of people
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. file — a tool
  23. land — ground
  24. wave — of the sea

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