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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 120 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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. swing — in golf
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. prune — to trim
  5. last — final
  6. face — to point toward
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. face — part of the head
  9. last — to go on
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. swing — to play on
  14. swing — music
  15. face — to confront
  16. sharp — clever
  17. scale — in music
  18. last — finally
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. scale — size or range
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. prune — to trim
  24. bay — a horse colour

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