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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 took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. kid — to tease
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. object — an aim
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. object — a thing
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. deal — to handle
  18. chair — a leader
  19. object — to protest
  20. kid — child
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. shower — to wash
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. deal — a big deal

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