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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. last — final
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. last — to go on
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. lie — to recline
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. ball — a great time
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. ball — a dance
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. mouse — the animal

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