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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 · race · stick · straw · stand · fall · drill · object

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. drill — army training
  3. fall — to drop
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. object — an aim
  8. race — the arms race
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. drill — the tool
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. object — to protest
  13. fall — to drop
  14. object — a thing
  15. drill — a practice
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. race — humankind
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. fall — the season
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. stand — to bear
  24. race — a contest

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