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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: mug · bank · content · straw · season · bay · trunk · patient

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. content — happy
  3. mug — to rob
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. mug — a face
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. season — of the year
  8. bank — for money
  9. mug — a cup
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. bank — for money
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. bank — of a river
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. content — the amount
  18. season — in sport
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. straw — a straw man

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