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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 124 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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: trunk · field · drill · bowl · saw · lie · bank · prune

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. lie — to recline
  3. field — for sport
  4. field — a subject
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. drill — a practice
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bank — for money
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. prune — to trim
  12. bank — of a river
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. prune — to trim
  18. drill — army training
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. field — farmland
  21. saw — the tool
  22. bank — for money
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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