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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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. club — for dancing
  4. snap — to click
  5. club — a group
  6. sharp — clever
  7. club — for golf
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. pop — soda
  13. pop — to visit
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. plane — a tool
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. pop — music
  18. track — a song
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. track — to keep track
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. track — a path
  24. patient — a sick person

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