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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 116 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: face · deal · racket · straw · present · patient · squash · prune

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. prune — to trim
  3. present — the time now
  4. prune — to trim
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. face — part of the head
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. present — there
  13. present — a gift
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. squash — to crush
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. face — to point toward
  19. squash — the sport
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. face — to confront
  22. deal — to handle
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. squash — the vegetable

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