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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. can — a tin
  5. rash — hasty
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. rash — a series
  10. march — the month
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. present — the time now
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. can — to be able to
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. present — there
  19. rush — hurry
  20. present — a gift
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. march — the month
  23. can — a tin
  24. march — music

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