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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. cap — a hat
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. cap — of ice
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. rest — what's left
  9. cap — a lid
  10. game — wild animals
  11. bore — to tire
  12. spell — magic
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. rest — what's left
  15. game — a match
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. spell — a short time
  19. rest — a break
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. spell — letters
  24. bore — to drill

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