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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 120 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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. net — for catching
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. wound — an injury
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. squash — to crush
  7. craft — boats
  8. wound — an injury
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. net — after costs
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. can — a tin
  13. bore — to tire
  14. bore — to drill
  15. squash — the sport
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. can — to be able to
  20. net — in sport
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. craft — a skill
  24. can — a tin

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