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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: content · trunk · patient · saw · coach · drill · band · prune

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. drill — the tool
  8. content — the amount
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. band — a ring
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. band — a music group
  14. prune — to trim
  15. drill — a practice
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. drill — army training
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. saw — the tool
  21. content — happy
  22. saw — the tool
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. prune — to trim

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