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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. spring — of water
  4. march — the month
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. stock — shares
  9. chest — of your body
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. stock — goods
  12. spring — the season
  13. spring — a coil
  14. march — music
  15. fall — to drop
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. chest — of your body
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. fall — to drop
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. fall — the season
  23. march — the month
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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