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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 father caught me by the ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. season — in sport
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. cap — of ice
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. bark — to shout
  12. cap — a lid
  13. wake — a trail
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. cap — a hat
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. season — of the year
  24. mouse — the animal

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