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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 surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. field — farmland
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. pit — in a race
  8. wind — moving air
  9. field — a subject
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. field — for sport
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. pit — a hole
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. mug — a cup
  21. mug — to rob
  22. mug — a face
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. wind — moving air

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