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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. file — a line of people
  7. swing — in golf
  8. swing — to play on
  9. file — a document
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. pop — music
  12. file — a tool
  13. mate — a friend
  14. pop — soda
  15. rock — a stone
  16. pop — to visit
  17. rock — music
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. swing — music
  20. mate — to breed
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. mate — a partner
  24. safe — out of danger

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