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

Word bank: patient · hide · mug · dip · straw · bay · ruler · date

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. dip — to sink
  7. date — the fruit
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. mug — a cup
  19. mug — to rob
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. mug — a face
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. date — on the calendar

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