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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: present · perch · nail · bank · land · lie · patient · straw

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  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. land — ground
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. bank — for money
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. perch — the fish
  6. bank — of a river
  7. present — there
  8. bank — for money
  9. land — to come down
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. present — a gift
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. present — the time now
  17. land — a country
  18. lie — to recline
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — for a bird
  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