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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 116 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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. board — a committee
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. race — the arms race
  8. board — to get on
  9. ball — a dance
  10. lean — to bend
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. race — a contest
  16. shower — to wash
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. ball — a great time
  19. shower — rain
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. race — humankind
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. lean — thin
  24. perch — the fish

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