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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: straw · dip · clip · swing · present · pound · bass · patient

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. pound — a weight
  3. present — the time now
  4. dip — to sink
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. swing — to play on
  7. present — there
  8. clip — for paper
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. bass — the fish
  11. swing — music
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. swing — in golf
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. bass — low music
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. clip — a video
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. present — a gift
  24. clip — to cut

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