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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. firm — steady
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. chip — for betting
  9. chip — to eat
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. wound — an injury
  14. firm — a company
  15. plane — a tool
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. degree — from a university
  18. degree — an amount
  19. firm — decided
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. degree — temperature
  23. wound — an injury
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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