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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: pitcher · lean · last · patient · straw · spring · club · dip

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. last — to go on
  3. last — finally
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. dip — to sink
  6. spring — the season
  7. spring — a coil
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. lean — thin
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. spring — of water
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. last — final
  16. club — for golf
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. club — for dancing
  21. lean — to bend
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. club — a group

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