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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. present — the time now
  4. scale — in music
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. deal — to handle
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. present — there
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. present — a gift
  14. object — an aim
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. object — a thing
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. scale — size or range

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