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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 120 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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. file — a document
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. key — in music
  10. wind — moving air
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. key — for a lock
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. file — a line of people
  19. wind — moving air
  20. file — a tool
  21. key — the most important part
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. snap — to click

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