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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. net — for catching
  6. race — the arms race
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. net — after costs
  11. can — a tin
  12. capital — a city
  13. dip — to sink
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. capital — money
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. rush — hurry
  21. race — humankind
  22. net — in sport
  23. can — a tin
  24. race — a contest

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