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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. bear — the animal
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — the tool
  5. snap — to click
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. chair — a leader
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. season — of the year
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. wind — moving air
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. season — in sport
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. wind — moving air

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