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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.

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: patient · mouse · bark · ball · clip · bowl · bay · calf

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. bark — to shout
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. ball — a great time
  12. clip — to cut
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. clip — for paper
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. clip — a video
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. bowl — a dish
  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