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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rest · bay · mug · content · rash · band · row · patient

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. mug — a face
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. row — to paddle
  5. mug — a cup
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. rash — a series
  8. band — a ring
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. row — a line
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rest — a break
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. content — happy
  17. mug — to rob
  18. band — a music group
  19. rest — what's left
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. rash — hasty
  22. content — the amount
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. row — a quarrel

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