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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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Word bank
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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: ruler · patient · mine · straw · hand · ball · coach · bound

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. bound — obliged
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. ball — a dance
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. hand — in cards
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. mine — for digging
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. hand — help
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. bound — certain
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. ball — a great time
  21. bound — tied together
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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