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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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. sharp — clever
  8. ground — crushed
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. foot — a measure
  11. plane — a tool
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — to be able to
  17. can — a tin
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. ground — a position
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. ground — the earth
  24. patient — a sick person

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