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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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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: suit · straw · spell · clip · pit · mug · patient · nail

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. pit — in a race
  4. mug — a cup
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. spell — magic
  7. pit — a hole
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. mug — a face
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. suit — in cards
  12. clip — to cut
  13. clip — a video
  14. spell — a short time
  15. mug — to rob
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. suit — clothes
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. spell — letters
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. clip — for paper
  24. suit — to fit

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