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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. ground — a position
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. field — farmland
  8. ground — crushed
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. plane — a tool
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. charge — electricity
  15. field — a subject
  16. charge — in control
  17. pound — a weight
  18. charge — a price
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. ground — the earth
  22. field — for sport
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. safe — out of danger

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