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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  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. mine — an explosive
  2. current — happening now
  3. bore — to tire
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. bat — the animal
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. present — the time now
  12. mine — for digging
  13. current — electric
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. bore — to drill
  20. present — there
  21. current — of water
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. present — a gift
  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