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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. pitch — completely
  7. present — a gift
  8. present — the time now
  9. object — an aim
  10. object — a thing
  11. land — a country
  12. present — there
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. land — ground
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. object — to protest
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. land — to come down

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