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

Word bank: fine · scale · straw · bank · prune · patient · hand · wake

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. prune — to trim
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. wake — a trail
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. prune — to trim
  10. fine — all right
  11. fine — high quality
  12. hand — in cards
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. bank — for money
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. scale — size or range
  20. bank — for money
  21. bank — of a river
  22. hand — help
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. scale — in music

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