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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. ground — the earth
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. bark — to shout
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. ground — crushed
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. staff — employees
  13. staff — a stick
  14. bound — obliged
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. kid — to tease
  18. bound — certain
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. staff — employees
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. ground — a position
  23. bound — tied together
  24. kid — child

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