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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bound — obliged
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. stem — to come from
  6. bass — the fish
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. rush — hurry
  10. bound — certain
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bank — for money
  15. bank — of a river
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. bass — low music
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. 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