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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. bear — the animal
  3. fine — high quality
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. roll — a list
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. fine — all right
  8. key — in music
  9. spell — a short time
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. land — to come down
  12. spell — magic
  13. key — for a lock
  14. land — ground
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. spell — letters
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. land — a country
  20. bear — the animal
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. key — the most important part
  24. roll — a cake

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