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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. current — happening now
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. cue — for pool
  10. craft — boats
  11. craft — a skill
  12. cue — a hint
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. wake — a trail
  15. cue — a signal
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. current — of water
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. snap — to click
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. current — electric
  23. scale — in music
  24. patient — a sick person

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