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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. mug — to rob
  3. land — a country
  4. face — part of the head
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. face — to point toward
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. kid — child
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. mug — a cup
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. face — to confront
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. mug — a face
  18. kid — to tease
  19. roll — a cake
  20. land — to come down
  21. roll — a list
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. land — ground

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