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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: club · patient · tube · prune · pit · rush · last · straw

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. tube — a container
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. rush — hurry
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. last — final
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. pit — in a race
  10. tube — the underground
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. club — for golf
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. prune — to trim
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. pit — a hole
  19. club — for dancing
  20. last — finally
  21. club — a group
  22. prune — to trim
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. last — to go on

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