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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. land — a country
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. fine — all right
  8. craft — a skill
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. land — to come down
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. lean — thin
  13. land — ground
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. lean — to bend
  17. craft — boats
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. fine — high quality
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — a supporter

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