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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. current — electric
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. bear — the animal
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. mark — a grade
  9. scale — size or range
  10. mark — a trace
  11. current — happening now
  12. scale — in music
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. current — of water
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. mine — for digging
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. bear — the animal
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. bear — to put up with

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