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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. present — the time now
  5. kid — to tease
  6. ball — a dance
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. ball — a great time
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. present — there
  13. present — a gift
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. kid — child
  17. board — to get on
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. roll — a list
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. roll — a cake
  24. board — a committee

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