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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. scale — size or range
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. snap — to click
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. last — final
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. rule — government
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. deal — to handle
  15. last — finally
  16. rule — a law
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. scale — in music
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. last — to go on
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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