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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. pit — a hole
  4. last — final
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. wound — an injury
  10. charge — a price
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. charge — electricity
  14. last — finally
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. charge — in control
  19. pit — in a race
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. last — to go on
  24. wound — an injury

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