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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. staff — employees
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. stand — to bear
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. game — wild animals
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. game — a match
  19. wake — a trail
  20. staff — a stick
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. bark — to shout
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. staff — employees

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