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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: branch · wave · club · season · bulb · firm · patient · straw

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. club — for dancing
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. club — for golf
  8. firm — a company
  9. season — of the year
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. bulb — for light
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. season — in sport
  16. branch — a division
  17. club — a group
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. bulb — for light
  23. firm — steady
  24. wave — with your hand

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