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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: face · fall · mug · saw · game · prune · bank · rush

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. fall — to drop
  3. prune — to trim
  4. bank — of a river
  5. mug — a cup
  6. bank — for money
  7. bank — for money
  8. face — to point toward
  9. mug — a face
  10. fall — the season
  11. saw — the tool
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. face — to confront
  14. game — a match
  15. rush — hurry
  16. mug — to rob
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. fall — to drop
  19. face — part of the head
  20. prune — to trim
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. saw — the tool
  24. rush — to hurry

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