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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. chip — to eat
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. bass — low music
  14. chip — for betting
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. stem — to come from
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. bass — the fish
  24. safe — out of danger

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