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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. drill — the tool
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. present — a gift
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. row — to paddle
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. rush — hurry
  20. drill — a practice
  21. drill — army training
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. row — a line
  24. present — the time now

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