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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  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 — a part of the sea
  2. root — of a word
  3. tear — to rip
  4. chip — to eat
  5. scale — in music
  6. bass — low music
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. tear — from crying
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. tear — from crying
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. chip — for betting
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. scale — size or range
  18. bass — the fish
  19. root — of a plant
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. root — the cause
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. patient — a sick person
  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