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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: bank · rash · face · saw · fork · patient · band · prune

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. band — a ring
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. rash — hasty
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. saw — the tool
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. rash — a series
  9. bank — of a river
  10. fork — in a road
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. band — a music group
  13. face — part of the head
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. prune — to trim
  20. saw — the tool
  21. prune — to trim
  22. face — to confront
  23. bank — for money
  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