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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. object — an aim
  4. rock — music
  5. spring — the season
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. file — a document
  8. file — a tool
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. spring — of water
  13. spring — a coil
  14. wind — moving air
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. wake — a trail
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. file — a line of people
  20. object — a thing
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. rock — a stone
  24. object — to protest

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