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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: bark · ground · patient · bore · safe · toast · suit · cold

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. toast — bread
  4. cold — not warm
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. bark — to shout
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. suit — clothes
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. ground — a position
  11. cold — an illness
  12. bore — to tire
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. ground — crushed
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. bore — to drill
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. suit — in cards
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. suit — to fit
  24. ground — the earth

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