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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: bulb · mate · prune · wind · mug · jam · cue · trunk

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  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. mug — a face
  2. mate — a friend
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. prune — to trim
  6. mug — a cup
  7. mate — to breed
  8. cue — for pool
  9. bulb — for light
  10. mug — to rob
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. wind — moving air
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. mate — a partner
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. wind — moving air
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. prune — to trim
  20. bulb — for light
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. cue — a hint
  23. cue — a signal
  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