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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: straw · bank · mouse · face · plane · fine · trunk · patient

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. face — to confront
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. face — to point toward
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. fine — high quality
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. bank — of a river
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. fine — all right
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. face — part of the head
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. bank — for money
  23. plane — a tool
  24. mouse — for a computer

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