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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. land — to come down
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. land — ground
  7. kid — child
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. suit — in cards
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. dip — to sink
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. wound — an injury
  14. suit — to fit
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. land — a country
  20. wound — an injury
  21. fine — high quality
  22. suit — clothes
  23. kid — to tease
  24. dip — to dunk

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