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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  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 horse colour
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bass — low music
  5. bass — the fish
  6. bulb — for light
  7. staff — employees
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. staff — a stick
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. staff — employees
  20. bear — the animal
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. sharp — clever
  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