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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. wind — moving air
  10. pitch — completely
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. snap — to click
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. wind — moving air

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