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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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. wax — to grow
  4. board — a committee
  5. board — to get on
  6. spring — a coil
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. spring — of water
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. shower — to wash
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. spring — the season
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. shower — rain
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. nail — for a hammer

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