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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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. ball — a great time
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. lie — to recline
  18. pitch — completely
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. pit — a hole
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. wax — to grow
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. pit — in a race

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