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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. cold — not warm
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. lie — to recline
  7. bulb — for light
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. stand — to bear
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. cold — an illness
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. bulb — for light
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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