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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 120 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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. cap — a lid
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. bulb — for light
  5. cap — a hat
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. march — the month
  14. snap — to click
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. cap — of ice
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. march — music
  23. sharp — clever
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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