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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. clip — for paper
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. club — for dancing
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. clip — to cut
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. club — for golf
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. date — the fruit
  18. clip — a video
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. club — a group
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. ruler — for measuring

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