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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 124 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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. squash — to crush
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. band — a ring
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. spell — letters
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. spell — a short time
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. scale — size or range
  18. band — a music group
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. sharp — clever
  21. squash — the sport
  22. scale — in music
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. spell — magic

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