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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. present — the time now
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. content — the amount
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. field — farmland
  11. content — happy
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. plane — a tool
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. field — for sport
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. present — there
  18. field — a subject
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. present — a gift

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