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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: can · straw · kick · patient · saw · degree · plane · tear

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. can — a tin
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — the tool
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. tear — from crying
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. can — to be able to
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. can — a tin
  13. tear — to rip
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. kick — in football
  16. tear — from crying
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. degree — from a university
  20. degree — temperature
  21. plane — a tool
  22. degree — an amount
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. kick — with a leg

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