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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. scale — size or range
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. staff — employees
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. shower — to wash
  12. charge — in control
  13. scale — in music
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. staff — a stick
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. shower — rain
  20. snap — to click
  21. charge — a price
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. charge — electricity
  24. staff — employees

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