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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: bark · bank · pop · band · safe · craft · patient · trunk

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. bank — of a river
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. craft — boats
  5. craft — a skill
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. band — a ring
  12. bark — to shout
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. pop — soda
  18. pop — music
  19. band — a music group
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. pop — to visit
  22. bank — for money
  23. bank — for money
  24. trunk — of a tree

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