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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 sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. fall — to drop
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. fall — the season
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. craft — boats
  12. bore — to tire
  13. bore — to drill
  14. kick — in football
  15. fall — to drop
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. bass — the fish
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. pitch — completely
  22. bass — low music
  23. craft — a skill
  24. patient — a sick person

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