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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: patient · staff · bark · bulb · content · jam · saw · plane

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. content — the amount
  3. staff — employees
  4. saw — the tool
  5. staff — a stick
  6. staff — employees
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. saw — the tool
  9. plane — a tool
  10. content — happy
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. bark — to shout
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. bulb — for light
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. bulb — for light
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. patient — a sick person

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