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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. last — finally
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. band — a music group
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. object — an aim
  12. last — to go on
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. object — to protest
  15. last — final
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. bore — to drill
  18. lean — to bend
  19. object — a thing
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. bore — to tire
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. band — a ring

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