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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. suit — to fit
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. swing — to play on
  6. fall — to drop
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. fall — to drop
  9. spell — magic
  10. lean — thin
  11. swing — in golf
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. wound — an injury
  14. lean — to bend
  15. suit — in cards
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. suit — clothes
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. wound — an injury
  20. spell — letters
  21. spell — a short time
  22. fall — the season
  23. swing — music
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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