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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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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: jam · lean · straw · deal · chair · patient · capital · bass

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. lean — thin
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. capital — money
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. deal — to handle
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. chair — a leader
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. lean — to bend
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. capital — a city
  22. bass — the fish
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. bass — low 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