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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

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

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