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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. foot — a measure
  16. rush — hurry
  17. content — the amount
  18. content — happy
  19. bark — to shout
  20. wake — a trail
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. patient — a sick person

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