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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. ground — the earth
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. bank — for money
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. ground — crushed
  10. fork — in a road
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. ground — a position
  13. wax — to grow
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. bank — for money

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