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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. rest — a break
  5. rock — music
  6. rock — a stone
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. current — electric
  9. field — a subject
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. stand — to bear
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. bore — to drill
  15. rest — what's left
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. current — of water
  19. field — for sport
  20. current — happening now
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. bore — to tire
  23. rest — what's left
  24. straw — a straw man

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