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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 120 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 sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. dip — to sink
  7. tear — to rip
  8. tube — a container
  9. swing — to play on
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. swing — music
  12. tear — from crying
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wound — an injury
  18. tear — from crying
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. swing — in golf
  21. pound — a weight
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. tube — the underground

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