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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.

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: band · patient · mouse · fan · trunk · plane

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. band — a music group
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. band — a ring
  16. plane — a tool
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. fan — a supporter

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