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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 116 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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  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. bay — to keep at bay
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. tear — from crying
  4. lean — thin
  5. hand — in cards
  6. tear — to rip
  7. tear — from crying
  8. hand — help
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. current — of water
  11. current — electric
  12. current — happening now
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. capital — money
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. capital — a city
  20. vault — a safe
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. lean — to bend
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  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