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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. mate — to breed
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. file — a tool
  8. file — a document
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. mate — a friend
  11. mate — a partner
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. pound — a weight
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. toast — bread
  18. file — a line of people
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. lie — to recline
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. straw — dry grass

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