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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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. rash — hasty
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. bore — to drill
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. tube — the underground
  18. sharp — clever
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. bore — to tire
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. rash — a series

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