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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. track — a path
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. bank — of a river
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. bank — for money
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. track — to keep track
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. bark — to shout
  18. lie — to recline
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. track — a song
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. pound — a weight
  24. bank — for money

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