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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 116 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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. mark — a grade
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. clip — to cut
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. clip — for paper
  11. lean — thin
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. clip — a video
  14. lean — to bend
  15. shower — to wash
  16. key — the most important part
  17. key — in music
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. shower — rain
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. mark — a trace
  24. key — for a lock

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