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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. can — to be able to
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. chest — of your body
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. track — a path
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. can — a tin
  11. track — a song
  12. toast — bread
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. craft — a skill
  15. track — to keep track
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. shower — to wash
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. shower — rain
  22. craft — boats
  23. chest — of your body
  24. chest — a box

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