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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: mate · wave · straw · patient · swing · bay · bear · nail

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. mate — a partner
  6. mate — a friend
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. swing — in golf
  17. swing — music
  18. swing — to play on
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. bear — the animal
  22. mate — to breed
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. bear — to put up with

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