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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. cap — a hat
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. hand — help
  8. last — to go on
  9. last — final
  10. hand — in cards
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. cap — a lid
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. object — to protest
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. last — finally
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. object — a thing
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. cap — of ice
  24. object — an aim

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