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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. shower — to wash
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. rule — a law
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. date — the fruit
  10. drill — a practice
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. drill — the tool
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. shower — rain
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. rule — government
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. drill — army training
  24. date — on the calendar

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