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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. spell — letters
  6. stand — to bear
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. bore — to drill
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. bore — to tire
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. lie — to recline
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. spell — a short time
  22. spell — magic
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. straw — a straw man

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