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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. land — ground
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. bore — to drill
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. land — a country
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. bore — to tire
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. fork — in a road
  24. land — to come down

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