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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 116 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: snap · hand · patient · staff · rest · straw · plane · bay

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. plane — a tool
  4. staff — a stick
  5. rest — a break
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. hand — help
  9. rest — what's left
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. staff — employees
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. rest — what's left
  18. staff — employees
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. hand — in cards
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. snap — to click
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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