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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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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: present · patient · bear · straw · mug · pound · cap · last

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. mug — a face
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. bear — the animal
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. mug — to rob
  7. present — a gift
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. last — finally
  11. cap — a hat
  12. present — there
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. pound — a weight
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. mug — a cup
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. last — to go on
  20. bear — the animal
  21. cap — a lid
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. cap — of ice
  24. last — final

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