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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 116 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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. file — a document
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. wake — a trail
  12. file — a line of people
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. stock — shares
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. file — a tool
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. stock — goods
  24. stock — a soup base

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