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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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. bay — a horse colour
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. track — a song
  6. track — to keep track
  7. tube — a container
  8. land — to come down
  9. land — a country
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. track — a path
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. rush — hurry
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. land — ground
  23. tube — the underground
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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