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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. capital — money
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. cold — not warm
  5. pop — soda
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. suit — to fit
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. suit — in cards
  13. saw — the tool
  14. root — of a word
  15. pop — music
  16. root — the cause
  17. pop — to visit
  18. saw — the tool
  19. root — of a plant
  20. cold — an illness
  21. capital — a city
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. suit — clothes

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