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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. bank — of a river
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. bank — for money
  12. content — happy
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. sharp — clever
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. content — the amount
  18. bank — for money
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. straw — dry grass

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