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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 116 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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. fine — high quality
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. hand — help
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. rock — a stone
  13. rash — a series
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. hand — in cards
  18. rock — music
  19. fine — all right
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. rash — hasty
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. hand — part of the body

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