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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 mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. can — a tin
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. cue — a hint
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. can — a tin
  10. last — final
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. cue — for pool
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. last — finally
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. last — to go on
  20. can — to be able to
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. cue — a signal

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