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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · fine · bank · wave · field · chair · saw · pitcher

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. bank — of a river
  4. fine — high quality
  5. field — farmland
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. chair — a leader
  9. saw — the tool
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. field — a subject
  14. bank — for money
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. fine — all right
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. field — for sport
  20. saw — the tool
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. bank — for money
  24. straw — dry grass

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