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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 120 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: patient · tube · swing · lie · can · straw · bark · foot

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. tube — the underground
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. foot — a measure
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. swing — music
  14. swing — to play on
  15. lie — to recline
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. can — to be able to
  20. can — a tin
  21. tube — a container
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. can — a tin
  24. bark — to shout

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