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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.

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: straw · chest · bass · bank · saw · key · patient · suit

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. key — for a lock
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. bank — for money
  5. chest — of your body
  6. bass — low music
  7. suit — to fit
  8. key — the most important part
  9. saw — the tool
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. chest — a box
  12. saw — the tool
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. bass — the fish
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. chest — of your body
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. suit — in cards
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. suit — clothes
  22. bank — for money
  23. key — in music
  24. bank — of a river

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