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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. squash — to crush
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. current — happening now
  6. wind — moving air
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. current — of water
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. lie — to recline
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. current — electric
  18. rock — music
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. wind — moving air
  21. squash — the sport
  22. rock — a stone
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. squash — the vegetable

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