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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  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. bass — the instrument
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. key — the most important part
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. deal — to handle
  14. bark — to shout
  15. bass — the fish
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bass — low music
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. key — in music
  23. straw — dry grass
  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