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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. firm — a company
  3. firm — decided
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. last — to go on
  9. sharp — clever
  10. last — final
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. hand — in cards
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. row — a line
  17. row — to paddle
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. firm — steady
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. last — finally
  23. hand — help
  24. sharp — exactly

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