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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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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: patient · bay · key · firm · snap · stick · wake · lean

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. snap — to click
  4. firm — decided
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. key — in music
  8. firm — steady
  9. key — the most important part
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. wake — a trail
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. lean — to bend
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. key — for a lock
  17. firm — a company
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. patient — a sick person

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