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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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. present — there
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. wake — a trail
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. present — the time now
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. bark — to shout
  22. present — a gift
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. safe — out of danger

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