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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 120 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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. wound — an injury
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. bore — to tire
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. bore — to drill
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. shower — to wash
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. sharp — clever
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. shower — rain

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