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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: nail · can · straw · court · stick · dip · patient · rest

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. court — of law
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. can — to be able to
  10. rest — a break
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. can — a tin
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. dip — to sink
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. court — for sport
  19. court — of a king
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. rest — what's left
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. rest — what's left

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