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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.

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: toast · prune · pit · bank · fan · board · plane · hand

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. toast — bread
  3. hand — help
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. plane — a tool
  9. bank — of a river
  10. hand — in cards
  11. board — a committee
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. bank — for money
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. board — to get on
  19. pit — in a race
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. pit — a hole
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. prune — to trim
  24. bank — for money

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