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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. mug — a cup
  6. staff — employees
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. staff — employees
  9. mug — a face
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. staff — a stick
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. pass — a permit
  21. dip — to sink
  22. mug — to rob
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. wave — of the sea

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