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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. saw — the tool
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. saw — the tool
  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