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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. wax — to grow
  6. key — the most important part
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. rush — hurry
  11. dip — to sink
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. bark — to shout
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. key — for a lock
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. key — in music

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