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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. rash — a series
  3. last — final
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. rash — hasty
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. game — a match
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. mark — a grade
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. last — to go on
  15. lie — to recline
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. mark — a trace
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. game — wild animals
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. straw — dry grass
  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