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

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. mug — a face
  3. game — a match
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. mug — a cup
  6. present — the time now
  7. present — a gift
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. present — there
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. lean — to bend
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. lean — thin
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. game — wild animals

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