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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. mug — to rob
  7. mug — a cup
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. staff — employees
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. staff — a stick
  16. drill — the tool
  17. pound — a weight
  18. staff — employees
  19. drill — army training
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. drill — a practice
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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