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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 124 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 teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. firm — a company
  5. mate — a friend
  6. firm — decided
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. march — the month
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. rock — music
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. mate — to breed
  16. roll — a cake
  17. firm — steady
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. march — music
  20. march — the month
  21. foot — a measure
  22. rock — a stone
  23. mate — a partner
  24. patient — a sick person

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