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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bank — of a river
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. bank — for money
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. scale — in music
  13. date — the fruit
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. bank — for money
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. scale — size or range
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. sharp — clever
  21. bark — to shout
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. ruler — a monarch
  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