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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. club — a group
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. bound — certain
  5. rash — hasty
  6. drill — the tool
  7. club — for golf
  8. kid — child
  9. club — for dancing
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. drill — army training
  14. drill — a practice
  15. rash — a series
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. kid — to tease
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. bound — obliged
  23. bound — tied together
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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