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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: bank · patient · wake · bass · board · plane · hand · prune

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. prune — to trim
  8. board — to get on
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. wake — a trail
  11. prune — to trim
  12. bass — low music
  13. bank — for money
  14. board — a committee
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. hand — help
  18. bank — for money
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. bank — of a river
  23. bass — the fish
  24. hand — in cards

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