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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. scale — size or range
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. tear — to rip
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. bound — tied together
  13. season — of the year
  14. bound — obliged
  15. kid — to tease
  16. tear — from crying
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. tear — from crying
  22. kid — child
  23. scale — in music
  24. bound — certain

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