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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: kid · patient · pitcher · wake · straw · plane · toast · ruler

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. wake — a trail
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. kid — child
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. kid — to tease
  15. toast — bread
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. plane — a tool
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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