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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
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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: bulb · object · clip · mine · spell · squash · bank · net

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. bulb — for light
  3. clip — a video
  4. net — after costs
  5. bank — for money
  6. object — an aim
  7. squash — the sport
  8. clip — to cut
  9. clip — for paper
  10. bulb — for light
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. net — in sport
  13. object — to protest
  14. bank — of a river
  15. object — a thing
  16. bank — for money
  17. net — for catching
  18. spell — magic
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. squash — to crush
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. mine — for digging
  24. spell — letters

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