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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. prune — to trim
  4. bank — for money
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. bank — for money
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. saw — the tool
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. prune — to trim
  15. fork — in a road
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. tube — the underground
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. hand — help
  20. bank — of a river
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. hand — in cards
  24. tube — a container

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