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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. spell — letters
  3. cue — for pool
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. bore — to drill
  9. spell — a short time
  10. mark — a grade
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. cue — a hint
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. mark — a trace
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. cue — a signal
  22. spell — magic
  23. bore — to tire
  24. date — the fruit

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