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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. bat — the animal
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. present — a gift
  9. mark — a grade
  10. season — of the year
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. mark — a trace
  14. season — in sport
  15. present — the time now
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. present — there

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