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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. saw — the tool
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. bat — the animal
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. wound — an injury
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. court — of a king
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. prune — to trim
  15. court — for sport
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. saw — the tool
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. court — of law
  23. wound — an injury
  24. prune — to trim

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