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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 120 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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  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. stick — a piece of wood
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. dip — to sink
  5. board — to get on
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. club — for golf
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. club — a group
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. spell — letters
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. spell — a short time
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. spell — magic
  19. board — a committee
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. club — for dancing
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. deal — to handle
  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