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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.

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: patient · straw · bank · ball · season · pit · trunk · firm

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. firm — decided
  3. firm — steady
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. bank — of a river
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. season — of the year
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. ball — a great time
  14. ball — a dance
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. pit — a hole
  19. season — in sport
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. firm — a company
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. pit — in a race
  24. bank — for money

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