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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. club — a group
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. snap — to click
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. mark — a grade
  9. lean — to bend
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. lean — thin
  14. staff — a stick
  15. dip — to sink
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. club — for golf
  18. staff — employees
  19. club — for dancing
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. mark — a trace
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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