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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 120 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: prune · temple · mug · suit · cold · bank · branch · bulb

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bank — for money
  3. branch — a division
  4. bulb — for light
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. mug — to rob
  7. cold — not warm
  8. suit — to fit
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. mug — a cup
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. suit — clothes
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. cold — an illness
  16. bank — of a river
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. prune — to trim
  19. suit — in cards
  20. mug — a face
  21. prune — to trim
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. bank — for money
  24. bulb — of a plant

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