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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.

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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: plane · mug · bank · clip · prune · mate · last · spring

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. prune — to trim
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. clip — to cut
  5. bank — of a river
  6. last — finally
  7. mug — a cup
  8. last — final
  9. mate — a partner
  10. clip — for paper
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. bank — for money
  13. clip — a video
  14. mate — to breed
  15. mug — to rob
  16. spring — of water
  17. mug — a face
  18. spring — a coil
  19. plane — a tool
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. mate — a friend
  22. spring — the season
  23. prune — to trim
  24. last — to go on

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