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

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. field — for sport
  5. bore — to drill
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. ball — a great time
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. field — farmland
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. key — the most important part
  15. key — in music
  16. field — a subject
  17. ball — a dance
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. bore — to tire
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. key — for a lock
  22. perch — the fish
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  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