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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. wake — a trail
  3. band — a music group
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. charge — a price
  8. fork — in a road
  9. firm — steady
  10. charge — in control
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. charge — electricity
  20. firm — a company
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. firm — decided
  24. band — a ring

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