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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. game — a match
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. present — there
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. rock — a stone
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. spell — a short time
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. present — the time now
  17. present — a gift
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. bore — to drill
  20. rock — music
  21. spell — magic
  22. spell — letters
  23. bore — to tire
  24. stand — to bear

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