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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. spring — a coil
  3. fine — all right
  4. spring — of water
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. spring — the season
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. bear — the animal
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. fine — high quality
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. bear — the animal
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. kick — in football

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