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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. roll — a list
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. last — final
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. last — to go on
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. scale — in music
  15. plane — a tool
  16. roll — a cake
  17. rash — a series
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. rash — hasty
  24. scale — size or range

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