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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. court — of law
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. court — for sport
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. court — of a king
  11. stand — to bear
  12. file — a document
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. file — a line of people
  15. rash — hasty
  16. saw — the tool
  17. rash — a series
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. file — a tool

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