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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. saw — the tool
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. present — there
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. fall — to drop
  11. ball — a dance
  12. saw — the tool
  13. present — a gift
  14. wound — an injury
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. key — for a lock
  18. fall — the season
  19. key — the most important part
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. wound — an injury
  22. fall — to drop
  23. key — in music
  24. ball — a great time

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