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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. sharp — clever
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. land — to come down
  6. current — happening now
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. current — electric
  9. land — ground
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. net — after costs
  14. lie — to recline
  15. land — a country
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. net — in sport
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. current — of water
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. net — for catching
  24. patient — a sick person

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