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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. snap — to click
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. scale — in music
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. stock — goods
  11. scale — size or range
  12. mug — a cup
  13. branch — a division
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. stock — shares
  18. mug — to rob
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. mug — a face
  21. wind — moving air
  22. wind — moving air
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. scale — for weighing

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