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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: spring · pitcher · deal · band · face · rush · trunk · bank

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. face — to confront
  4. band — a music group
  5. face — to point toward
  6. spring — of water
  7. bank — for money
  8. rush — hurry
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. bank — of a river
  11. face — part of the head
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. deal — to handle
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. band — a ring
  21. spring — a coil
  22. bank — for money
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. spring — the season

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