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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. fall — the season
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. pound — a weight
  14. swing — to play on
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. swing — in golf
  20. fall — to drop
  21. saw — the tool
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. fall — to drop
  24. nail — for a hammer

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