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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 dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. mate — a friend
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. mate — to breed
  5. firm — decided
  6. firm — a company
  7. face — to point toward
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. mate — a partner
  14. shower — rain
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. face — part of the head
  17. shower — to wash
  18. firm — steady
  19. dip — to sink
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. face — to confront
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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