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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. rock — a stone
  3. hand — help
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rest — a break
  7. bark — to shout
  8. ball — a dance
  9. ball — a great time
  10. rock — music
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. wound — an injury
  14. mark — a trace
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. mark — a grade
  19. wound — an injury
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. rest — what's left
  24. ball — a round shape

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