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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: land · prune · bass · file · suit · patient · hide · bay

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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. prune — to trim
  4. prune — to trim
  5. land — a country
  6. land — ground
  7. file — a document
  8. land — to come down
  9. suit — clothes
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. file — a tool
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. bass — the fish
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. suit — to fit
  21. bass — low music
  22. suit — in cards
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. file — a line of people

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