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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.

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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: prune · mark · hand · press · saw · plane · band · trunk

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. saw — the tool
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. mark — a grade
  5. band — a ring
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. hand — help
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. press — to push
  11. prune — to trim
  12. plane — a tool
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. saw — the tool
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. press — newspapers
  17. press — a publisher
  18. band — a music group
  19. prune — to trim
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. mark — a trace
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. hand — part of the body

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