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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. track — to keep track
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. track — a path
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. press — a publisher
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. press — to push
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. rest — what's left
  14. drill — a practice
  15. drill — the tool
  16. rest — a break
  17. press — newspapers
  18. rest — what's left
  19. season — in sport
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. track — a song
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. drill — army training
  24. lash — an eyelash

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