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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 124 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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. row — to paddle
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. row — a line
  7. net — for catching
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. drill — the tool
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. drill — army training
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. bore — to tire
  16. net — after costs
  17. bore — to drill
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. drill — a practice
  20. net — in sport
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. jam — in traffic

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