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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. cue — for pool
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. cue — a signal
  9. season — of the year
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. cue — a hint
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bound — tied together
  18. bound — certain
  19. bulb — for light
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. season — in sport
  24. bound — obliged

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