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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. cap — a lid
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. mark — a trace
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. land — a country
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. cap — of ice
  9. current — of water
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. mark — a grade
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. land — ground
  14. bear — the animal
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. current — electric
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. current — happening now
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. cap — a hat
  22. land — to come down
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bear — to put up with

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