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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 120 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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. bore — to drill
  10. bat — the animal
  11. bore — to tire
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. bass — low music
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. tube — a container
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. bass — the fish
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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