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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. scale — in music
  4. spell — letters
  5. track — a song
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. face — to confront
  8. spell — magic
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. stand — to bear
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. track — a path
  15. scale — size or range
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. track — to keep track
  19. wound — an injury
  20. face — part of the head
  21. face — to point toward
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. spell — a short time

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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