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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bark · squash · patient · stick · hand · calf · charge · mug

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. hand — in cards
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. hand — help
  6. bark — to shout
  7. mug — a cup
  8. squash — the sport
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. squash — to crush
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. charge — in control
  15. mug — to rob
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. charge — electricity
  23. charge — a price
  24. squash — the vegetable

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