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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: straw · prune · bank · temple · land · fall · mug · pass

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. prune — to trim
  4. bank — for money
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. land — a country
  8. bank — of a river
  9. mug — a cup
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. prune — to trim
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. fall — the season
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. land — ground
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. fall — to drop
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. fall — to drop
  21. land — to come down
  22. mug — to rob
  23. mug — a face
  24. pass — a permit

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