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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. bound — tied together
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. bound — certain
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. land — a country
  12. land — ground
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. land — to come down
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. bound — obliged
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. snap — to click
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. mouse — the animal

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