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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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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: cue · patient · sharp · mark · lean · key · file · bay

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. cue — for pool
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. mark — a grade
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. key — in music
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. cue — a hint
  13. lean — to bend
  14. file — a tool
  15. key — for a lock
  16. lean — thin
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. cue — a signal
  19. file — a line of people
  20. key — the most important part
  21. file — a document
  22. sharp — clever
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. mark — a trace

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