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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. plane — a tool
  3. chest — of your body
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. pound — a weight
  6. bat — the animal
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. chest — a box
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. bass — the fish
  17. bark — to shout
  18. bore — to drill
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. bass — low music
  21. chest — of your body
  22. bore — to tire
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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