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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
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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 · snap · plane · prune · rash · wake · ruler

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. rash — hasty
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. rash — a series
  9. band — a ring
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. plane — a tool
  14. prune — to trim
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. prune — to trim
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. snap — to click
  21. band — a music group
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. ruler — a monarch

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