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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: saw · bank · pop · season · bulb · club · mine · lean

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bank — of a river
  4. pop — music
  5. club — a group
  6. season — of the year
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. club — for dancing
  9. club — for golf
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. season — in sport
  12. bank — for money
  13. mine — for digging
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. lean — thin
  16. saw — the tool
  17. pop — soda
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. bulb — for light
  20. pop — to visit
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. saw — the tool
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. lean — to bend

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