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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: arm · wind · pop · patient · bay · rest · rash · saw

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. saw — the tool
  3. pop — music
  4. pop — soda
  5. rest — a break
  6. wind — moving air
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. pop — to visit
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rest — what's left
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. rash — hasty
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. rash — a series
  23. saw — the tool
  24. wind — moving air

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