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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. shower — rain
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. bound — obliged
  14. perch — the fish
  15. bound — certain
  16. fork — in a road
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. bound — tied together
  22. shower — to wash
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. fork — a garden tool

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