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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. roll — a list
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. row — a line
  7. rock — music
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. prune — to trim
  12. hand — in cards
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. roll — a cake
  17. rock — a stone
  18. row — to paddle
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. prune — to trim
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. hand — help

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