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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 would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. rest — what's left
  3. bass — low music
  4. row — to paddle
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. rest — what's left
  7. mate — a partner
  8. wind — moving air
  9. bark — to shout
  10. row — a line
  11. wind — moving air
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — a tin
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. mate — to breed
  19. can — to be able to
  20. mate — a friend
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. bass — the fish

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