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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 116 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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. court — for sport
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. bark — to shout
  6. snap — to click
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. rock — music
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. last — finally
  13. object — an aim
  14. court — of a king
  15. last — to go on
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. object — a thing
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. object — to protest
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. court — of law
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. last — final
  24. straw — dry grass

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