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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 116 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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. bass — the fish
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. current — electric
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. stem — to come from
  8. ball — a dance
  9. saw — the tool
  10. current — of water
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. kid — child
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. saw — the tool
  18. current — happening now
  19. bass — low music
  20. kid — to tease
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. ball — a great time
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. bay — a horse colour

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