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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. spell — magic
  5. staff — a stick
  6. ball — a great time
  7. swing — in golf
  8. swing — to play on
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. staff — employees
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. swing — music
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. rock — music
  15. ball — a dance
  16. kid — child
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. staff — employees
  19. rock — a stone
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. spell — letters
  22. spell — a short time
  23. kid — to tease
  24. bay — a horse colour

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