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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.

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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: wake · patient · straw · roll · bank · plane · prune · net

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. net — after costs
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. plane — a tool
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. roll — a cake
  9. prune — to trim
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. net — for catching
  12. bank — for money
  13. net — in sport
  14. roll — a list
  15. bank — of a river
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. bank — for money
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. wake — a trail
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. prune — to trim

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