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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. staff — employees
  4. stand — to bear
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. object — an aim
  7. wind — moving air
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. object — a thing
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. wind — moving air
  16. object — to protest
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. staff — a stick
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. staff — employees
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. straw — a straw man

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