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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.

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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: stem · key · bank · drill · firm · patient · straw · squash

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. drill — the tool
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. drill — a practice
  5. bank — for money
  6. stem — to come from
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. squash — the sport
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. key — for a lock
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. firm — steady
  14. squash — to crush
  15. firm — a company
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. firm — decided
  19. bank — of a river
  20. key — in music
  21. bank — for money
  22. key — the most important part
  23. drill — army training
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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