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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. file — a document
  7. sharp — clever
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. track — to keep track
  11. track — a path
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. file — a tool
  14. file — a line of people
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — for light
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. track — a song
  19. stand — to bear
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. patient — a sick person

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