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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  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. wind — to turn a key
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. wake — a trail
  5. shower — rain
  6. wind — moving air
  7. field — for sport
  8. rock — a stone
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. shower — to wash
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. wind — moving air
  14. field — a subject
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. field — farmland
  18. rock — music
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. bear — to put up with
  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