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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. tear — to rip
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. club — a group
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. tear — from crying
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. hand — in cards
  16. roll — a cake
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. club — for golf
  19. roll — a list
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. hand — help
  24. tear — from crying

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