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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: lean · firm · patient · hide · snap · straw · charge · drill

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. drill — the tool
  3. lean — thin
  4. charge — in control
  5. lean — to bend
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. charge — electricity
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. firm — steady
  12. drill — a practice
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. snap — to click
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. drill — army training
  17. charge — a price
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. firm — decided
  21. firm — a company
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hide — to keep secret
  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