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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 · present · patient · prune · march · rock · foot · dip

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. march — the month
  3. rock — a stone
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. dip — to sink
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. present — a gift
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. present — there
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. prune — to trim
  13. march — music
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. present — the time now
  16. rock — music
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. foot — a measure
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. march — the month
  22. prune — to trim
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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