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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. last — finally
  6. game — a match
  7. season — in sport
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. bound — tied together
  11. game — wild animals
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. bound — obliged
  14. wake — a trail
  15. season — of the year
  16. bound — certain
  17. last — to go on
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. last — final
  24. stem — to come from

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