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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. land — ground
  9. track — a path
  10. track — a song
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. swing — in golf
  13. cell — a phone
  14. swing — music
  15. land — a country
  16. rash — a series
  17. swing — to play on
  18. track — to keep track
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. cell — in biology
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. land — to come down
  24. kick — in football

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