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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: cap · key · temple · stick · bay · row · patient · pop

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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. pop — to visit
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. row — to paddle
  8. key — the most important part
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. pop — soda
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. pop — music
  15. cap — of ice
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. row — a line
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. key — in music
  22. cap — a lid
  23. cap — a hat
  24. key — for a lock

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