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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. march — the month
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. foot — a measure
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. bore — to drill
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. march — music
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. key — the most important part
  17. key — for a lock
  18. march — the month
  19. bore — to tire
  20. kick — in football
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. key — in music

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