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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. rash — hasty
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. rest — a break
  8. rash — a series
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. stand — to bear
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. row — to paddle
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. chip — to eat
  20. chip — for betting
  21. rest — what's left
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. row — a line
  24. rest — what's left

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