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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. scale — size or range
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. hand — help
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. scale — in music
  10. bound — tied together
  11. rash — a series
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. bound — obliged
  14. wound — an injury
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. bound — certain
  21. wound — an injury
  22. hand — in cards
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. rash — hasty

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