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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: bank · net · lie · mug · pass · wind · bulb · prune

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. net — in sport
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bank — for money
  5. mug — a face
  6. prune — to trim
  7. net — after costs
  8. wind — moving air
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. prune — to trim
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. mug — a cup
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. pass — a permit
  16. wind — moving air
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. bank — for money
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. bulb — for light
  22. net — for catching
  23. bank — of a river
  24. lie — to recline

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