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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. track — to keep track
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. tear — from crying
  7. track — a song
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. tear — from crying
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. shower — rain
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. tear — to rip
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. lean — to bend
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. shower — to wash
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. lean — thin
  24. track — a path

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