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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 goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. spring — the season
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. present — the time now
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. present — a gift
  9. spring — of water
  10. pass — a permit
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. spring — a coil
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. bulb — for light
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bulb — for light
  21. present — there
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. pass — to succeed

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