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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. capital — a city
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. file — a document
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. capital — money
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. file — a tool
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. file — a line of people
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. bark — to shout
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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