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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: deal · clip · patient · lash · bark · nail · pitch · content

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. content — the amount
  7. clip — to cut
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. bark — to shout
  10. pitch — completely
  11. content — happy
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. deal — to handle
  14. clip — a video
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. clip — for paper
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. lash — to lash out

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