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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. craft — a skill
  3. season — of the year
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. bulb — for light
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. wind — moving air
  8. season — in sport
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. kid — child
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. craft — boats
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. wind — moving air
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. season — to add flavour

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