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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  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. bay — a horse colour
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. can — to be able to
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. ground — crushed
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. scale — size or range
  9. ground — a position
  10. can — a tin
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. wax — to grow
  19. can — a tin
  20. ground — the earth
  21. scale — in music
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. racket — for tennis
  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