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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 coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. field — a subject
  10. scale — size or range
  11. spell — letters
  12. rush — hurry
  13. field — farmland
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. swing — music
  18. field — for sport
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. spell — magic
  21. swing — to play on
  22. scale — in music
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. spell — a short time

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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