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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 116 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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. staff — employees
  4. tear — to rip
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. bark — to shout
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. tear — from crying
  9. staff — a stick
  10. staff — employees
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. fork — in a road
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. tear — from crying

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