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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 120 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: straw · plane · hand · root · bank · patient · scale · race

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  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. patient — a sick person
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. root — of a plant
  6. bank — for money
  7. race — the arms race
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. bank — of a river
  10. scale — size or range
  11. plane — a tool
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. race — humankind
  15. root — the cause
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. hand — help
  18. bank — for money
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. scale — in music
  21. hand — in cards
  22. root — of a word
  23. race — a contest
  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