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

Word bank: snap · bay · kick · bark · ball · last · mine · patient

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. bark — to shout
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. snap — to click
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. last — final
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. mine — for digging
  15. ball — a great time
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. ball — a dance
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. kick — in football
  22. last — finally
  23. last — to go on
  24. mine — an explosive

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