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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. spring — the season
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. spring — a coil
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. mine — for digging
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. spring — of water
  24. stick — a piece of wood

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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