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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: mug · bulb · pound · patient · lash · net · bowl · prune

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. mug — a cup
  3. prune — to trim
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. bulb — for light
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. net — after costs
  12. net — for catching
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. mug — to rob
  16. net — in sport
  17. mug — a face
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. pound — a weight
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. pound — for dogs

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