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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: kick · spring · dip · band · patient · bass · bark · nail

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. dip — to sink
  3. bark — to shout
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. spring — a coil
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. bass — the fish
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. kick — in football
  14. spring — of water
  15. band — a ring
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. spring — the season
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. bass — low music
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. band — a music group
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. bass — the instrument

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