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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. present — a gift
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. prune — to trim
  5. can — a tin
  6. roll — a list
  7. rest — what's left
  8. present — there
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. can — a tin
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. net — after costs
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. present — the time now
  16. prune — to trim
  17. can — to be able to
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. roll — a cake
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rest — a break
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. net — in sport

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