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

Word bank: cold · bear · patient · foot · capital · bay · snap · mug

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. bear — the animal
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. cold — an illness
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. mug — a face
  7. snap — to click
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. mug — to rob
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. capital — money
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. capital — a city
  21. cold — not warm
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. foot — a measure
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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