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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. deal — to handle
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. row — to paddle
  10. court — for sport
  11. shower — to wash
  12. row — a line
  13. court — of a king
  14. last — to go on
  15. court — of law
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. last — final
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. shower — rain
  23. last — finally
  24. deal — an agreement

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