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

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. root — the cause
  3. bank — for money
  4. field — farmland
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. root — of a plant
  7. bank — of a river
  8. root — of a word
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. can — a tin
  14. field — for sport
  15. bank — for money
  16. can — a tin
  17. bound — obliged
  18. can — to be able to
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. field — a subject
  23. bound — certain
  24. patient — a sick person

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