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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 120 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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. rush — hurry
  3. wound — an injury
  4. land — to come down
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. rock — a stone
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. wound — an injury
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. suit — in cards
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. land — ground
  19. land — a country
  20. suit — to fit
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. suit — clothes
  23. board — to get on
  24. board — a committee

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