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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 do anything ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. saw — the tool
  6. staff — a stick
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. saw — the tool
  9. dip — to sink
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. staff — employees
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. staff — employees
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. rash — a series
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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