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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 goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  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. straw — dry grass
  2. wound — an injury
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. bore — to drill
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. stand — to bear
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. wound — an injury
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. bore — to tire
  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