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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  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. bay — to keep at bay
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. pit — in a race
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. pit — a hole
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. deal — to handle
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. cell — a phone
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. cell — in biology
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. bulb — for light
  19. branch — a division
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. bulb — for light
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. bulb — of a plant
  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